Synonyms

reclaim

American

[ri-kleym] / rɪˈkleɪm /

verb (used with object)

to bring (uncultivated areas or wasteland) into a condition for cultivation or other use.
to recover (substances) in a pure or usable form from refuse, discarded articles, etc.

Synonyms:

restore, regain
to bring back to a preferable manner of living, sound principles, ideas, etc.
to tame.
re-claim.

verb (used without object)

to protest; object.

noun

reclamation.

beyond reclaim.

reclaim British

/ rɪˈkleɪm /

verb

to claim back

to reclaim baggage
to convert (desert, marsh, waste ground, etc) into land suitable for growing crops
to recover (useful substances) from waste products
to convert (someone) from sin, folly, vice, etc
falconry to render (a hawk or falcon) tame

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

the act of reclaiming or state of being reclaimed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See recover.

Other Word Forms

nonreclaimable adjective
reclaimable adjective
reclaimant noun
reclaimer noun
unreclaimable adjective

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 ; re-, claim

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.

November and December are always my heaviest spending months, so by January, I’m ready to reclaim that sense of calm in the pantry.

From Salon

I wrote this week about how Google reclaimed its reputation for developing cutting-edge products in the age of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

And consumer goods companies want to reclaim their bottles and jugs as states adopt extended producer responsibility laws aimed at reducing plastic pollution.

From The Wall Street Journal

After four rounds of layoffs in two years that cut a quarter of its employees, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory now faces a daunting task: reclaiming its place at the vanguard of exploration and innovation.

From Los Angeles Times

While the charity believes Fern was abandoned while pregnant, it said it was unusual for such a breed not to be reclaimed.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023