reclaim

[ ri-kleym ]

See synonyms for reclaim on Thesaurus.com

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.

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.

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

synonym study For reclaim

2. See recover.

Other words for reclaim

2	regain, restore

See synonyms for reclaim on Thesaurus.com

Other words from reclaim

re·claim·a·ble, adjective
re·claim·er, noun
non·re·claim·a·ble, adjective
un·re·claim·a·ble, adjective

Words that may be confused with reclaim

re-claim, reclaim

Other definitions for re-claim (2 of 2)

re-claim

[ ree-kleym ]

verb (used with object)

to claim or demand the return or restoration of, as a right, possession, etc.
to claim again.

Origin of re-claim

1400–50; late Middle English. See re-, claim

Also reclaim.

Words that may be confused with re-claim

re-claim , reclaim

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reclaim in a sentence

He juices with vegetables, romances on Tinder, and shops for rustic furniture built with reclaimed materials.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali | Jason McGahan | October 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In 1970, and again in 1980, restitution was back on the agenda, and my mother and my aunt reclaimed paintings by Monet and Léger.
My Grandfather's War: Recovering the Art the Nazis Stole | Anne Sinclair | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The 24 additional pieces might be reclaimed after either the father or mother dies and be buried along with that parent.
A Final Burial at Ground Zero | Michael Daly | May 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Last year, three daredevils reclaimed One World Trade Center for life.
We Should Applaud the World Trade Center Jumpers, Not Prosecute Them | Justin Miller | March 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
For now, Marine Corps Times has reclaimed its place near the cash registers, but that might be temporary.
Gagging the Corps: A Marine Commandant’s War on Newsprint | David Abrams | February 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

These bogs are of all depths from a few inches to thirty or forty feet, though the very shallow have generally been reclaimed.
Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley
To the condition of a people keeping covenant, the seed of Jacob yet to be reclaimed, as chosen of God will be called.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
It must be acknowledged that he reclaimed nearly the whole of Asia from idolatry.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
It seems incomprehensible that these children should not be reclaimed, still more incomprehensible that no one seeks to do it.
Friend Mac Donald | Max O'Rell
To protect it until it could be reclaimed, Emperor Alexander bought the treasure and took it to Russia.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia Austrian

British Dictionary definitions for reclaim

reclaim

/ (rɪˈkleɪm) /

verb(tr)

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

noun

the act of reclaiming or state of being reclaimed

Origin of reclaim

C13: from Old French réclamer, from Latin reclāmāre to cry out, protest, from re- + clāmāre to shout

Derived forms of reclaim

reclaimable, adjective
reclaimant or reclaimer, noun

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

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