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
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had reclaimedperfect
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was reclaimingprogressive
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were reclaimingprogressive
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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:
It is the retailer’s latest attempt to become a fashion destination for more shoppers—and reclaim ground lost to Amazon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern chat with New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie to unpack how you, an everyday American, can reclaim constitutional power.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
He will not being doing that again, thus his renewed resolve to reclaim his throne.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Last year, he lost a legal challenge to reclaim money he was charged for bed and board during the 11 years he spent behind bars.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Lembede said that Africa was a black man’s continent, and it was up to Africans to reassert themselves and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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
Having come off the bench at the halfway stage against France, Zander Fagerson reclaims his place from D'Arcy Rae.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
Caramon, a company that reclaims old memory from decommissioned servers for PCs, is benefiting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026
The pain of my wounded leg reclaims me.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
She’s extremely interested in the ways problematic movies can be reclaimed by the real-life minority figures depicted in them, and what can be gleaned from studying these films’ merits.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Intrinsic to that same cut was the declaration that I’d reclaimed some part of myself, for myself, behind the bangs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Outside of acting, she designs jewelry under her brand, GreybyTamaraMello, creating pieces made exclusively from reclaimed metals.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
On Monday night, the CJP reclaimed the Jantar Mantar protest site and posted on social media, "This peaceful protest is not ending!"
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
I reclaimed my backpack from Grover and looked inside.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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
The Amicus bonus episode puts out a humble request: Tell us how you’re reclaiming the Constitution for yourself, your loved ones, your neighbors, and your community.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Las Vegas has done a phenomenal job in preserving and... reclaiming water," said Bruce Nelson, whose family has owned the lake's marina for almost 70 years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Prices of gold also improved, rising 2% and reclaiming the key $4,500 an ounce level.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
How long would Dibdin wait before reclaiming Curzon’s hat and blanket?
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
