procure

American  

[proh-kyoor, pruh-] / proʊˈkyʊər, prə- /

verb (used with object)

procured, procuring

1. to obtain or get by care, effort, or the use of special means.

   to procure evidence.

   Synonyms:

   win, gain

   Antonyms:

   lose

2. to bring about, especially by unscrupulous and indirect means.

   to procure secret documents.

   Synonyms:

   contrive

3. to obtain (a person) for the purpose of prostitution.

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verb (used without object)

procured, procuring

1. to act as a procurer or pimp.

   Synonyms:

   pimp, pander

procure British  

/ prəˈkjʊə /

verb

1. (tr) to obtain or acquire; secure

2. to obtain (women or girls) to act as prostitutes

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Usage

What does procure mean? To procure something is to obtain or get it, especially through special means or extra effort. The word is especially used in the context of the formal, official process of purchasing and obtaining materials, supplies, or equipment, particularly in the context of business or government. The noun form procurement most commonly refers to this process. Many large companies and government agencies have a procurement department that handles the ordering and acquisition of supplies. Such a department is often simply referred to as procurement, as in You’ll have to ask procurement to order those materials. Procurement can also be used in a general way to refer to the act or process of procuring in any context. Example: It took me a few months to track it down, but I was able to procure that rare book for her birthday.

Related Words

See get.

Other Word Forms

• procurable adjective
• procurance noun
• procurement noun
• self-procured adjective
• self-procuring adjective
• unprocured adjective

Etymology

Origin of procure

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English procuren, from Latin prōcūrāre “to take care of”; see pro- ¹, cure

Explanation

In prison movies, there's always a character who is able to procure all sorts of contraband from the inside — magazines, playing cards, special soap. If you procure something, you get it or bring it about by special effort. Procure's synonym obtain is a little formal, but less formal than procure itself. The noun procurement commonly refers to the obtaining of materials and supplies. Procure descends from Middle English procuren, from Old French procurer, "to take care of," from Latin prōcūrāre, formed from the prefix prō-, "for", plus cūrāre, "to care for."

Example Sentences

Oracle aims to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom’s fuel cell systems under the agreement.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Utilities are expanding multiyear spending plans to build transmission lines, upgrade substations and procure transformers.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The Pentagon should use the money to procure systems necessary to support Indo-Pacific Commander Adm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The clinic had enough basic medications for three months, and there was funding to procure specialized medicine for patients with complicated illnesses.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

“Why not wait, Anne, and procure another indentured girl in New York?”

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• buy up
• get hold of
• solicit