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.

Learning to cook, it transpires, was the second strand of her plan to reclaim some normality after the whirlwind of her early 20s.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Intel has a lot to prove as it looks to reclaim leadership in chip manufacturing, and its latest move is perhaps a sign that it’s heading in the right direction.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The fix in iOS 26.4 is worth the update, but there are more tricks you should try to reclaim your keyboard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The proximity felt practical then—a way to reclaim minutes of sleep in a life structured by call schedules and pages.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

You could even reclaim a hazardous waste dump.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

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