reclaim
Americanverb (used with object)
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reclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
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reclaimed,
past participle, past
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reclaiming
present participle
verb (used without object)
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reclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reclaimed,
past participle, past
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reclaiming
present participle
noun
verb
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to claim back
to reclaim baggage
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to convert (desert, marsh, waste ground, etc) into land suitable for growing crops
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to recover (useful substances) from waste products
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to convert (someone) from sin, folly, vice, etc
-
falconry to render (a hawk or falcon) tame
noun
Synonym Usage
See recover.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reclaimantnoun
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reclaimernoun
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nonreclaimableadjective
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reclaimableadjective
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unreclaimableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reclaimsimple
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reclaimssimple
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have reclaimedperfect
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has reclaimedperfect
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am reclaimingprogressive
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are reclaimingprogressive
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is reclaimingprogressive
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have been reclaimingperfect progressive
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has been reclaimingperfect progressive
Past
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reclaimedsimple
-
had reclaimedperfect
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was reclaimingprogressive
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were reclaimingprogressive
-
had been reclaimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reclaim
First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English recla(i)men, from Old French reclamer (tonic stem reclaim- ), from Latin reclāmāre “to cry out against,” equivalent to re- + clāmāre “to claim”; (noun) Middle English reclaim(e), from Old French reclaim, reclam, derivative of reclamer ; see re-, claim
Explanation
To reclaim something is to get it back. If a divorced couple remarries, they reclaim their marriage. To claim is to declare or take ownership of something. To reclaim is to retake something lost. An injured quarterback must reclaim the starting position from his replacement. Two countries fighting over territory may lose and reclaim an area of land. A bank can reclaim a house if you don't make mortgage payments. Reclaim comes from the Old French reclamer, "to call back," which is rooted in the Latin word reclamare, "cry out against, or appeal."
Vocabulary lists containing reclaim
Power Prefix: re-
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Ipswich's Wardley, 31, suffered the first defeat of his professional career that night but immediately activated his rematch clause in a bid to reclaim his world title.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
These little fellas represent a departure from all of that: cuddly digital pals whose highest calling is to help you reclaim some of your time.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
The 2026 Mental Health and Social Inclusion study also found that stand-up “enables performers, including those with neurodiverse traits, to reclaim personal narratives and engage in peer-supported communities of practice.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Nike is overhauling its approach to its second-largest market, moving to reclaim its premium status by cutting off most third-party online vendors in China, Jon Emont writes in The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
You have shown such a calm, patient determination to reclaim this country as your own, and now the joy that we can loudly proclaim from the rooftops — Free at last!
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
He organizes inventory, reclaims screens and operates heavy manual and automatic presses to print tens of thousands of promotional shirts each year for customers including local breweries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
If the stock reclaims $47, it could move toward $57 by mid-2026, implying roughly 25% upside from current levels.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
Before Harvard reclaims my Ph.D., let me lay out the merits of annuities.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026
The Myanmar military says it has captured one of the most notorious scam compounds on the border with Thailand, as it reclaims key territory it lost in the ongoing civil war.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025
The man nods to himself and reclaims his cane, pulling a pale handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the boy’s fingerprints from the surface.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
He famously reclaimed the heavyweight title in 1994 at age 45, becoming the oldest boxer to win a world heavyweight championship.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Third Army Corps also says it has recently reclaimed about 68 square miles in the direction of Lyman, a city in the Donetsk region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The Times spoke with Mockingbird about how a counterculture movement like punk has been co-opted and reclaimed, and if L.A.’s nihilistic feelings back then teach us about surviving today.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
They have reclaimed their number one ranking from India.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
During the day, the bathroom was our playhouse, until the men came home from work and reclaimed it, filling the air with the humid scent of Palmolive soap.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Even if Naftogaz is ultimately able to sell the 43-year-old ship, it won’t make much of a dent in reclaiming the more than $5 billion it is owed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
For Espinoza, that liberation meant reclaiming a femininity she had once feared, by drawing from drag culture and the ’80s vogue tradition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Kerr smashed the 27-year mile world record at the London Diamond League and won Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow this summer, after beginning an outstanding year by reclaiming the world indoor 3,000m title.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Kris is a queer filmmaker taking on the task of reclaiming the slasher horror film-within-the-film, “Camp Miasma,” rebooting it for the queer community to no longer be appalled by.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Abby Suso is singlehandedly reclaiming eye crinkles for our generation.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
