reclamation
Americannoun
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the reclaiming of desert, marshy, or submerged areas or other wasteland for cultivation or other use.
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the act or process of reclaiming.
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the state of being reclaimed.
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the process or industry of deriving usable materials from waste, by-products, etc.
noun
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the conversion of desert, marsh, or other waste land into land suitable for cultivation
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the recovery of useful substances from waste products
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the act of reclaiming or state of being reclaimed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reclamation
1525–35, in sense “a protest”; < Middle French < Latin reclāmātiōn- (stem of reclāmātiō ) crying out against, equivalent to reclāmāt ( us ) (past participle of reclāmāre; see reclaim) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Reclamation is the act of returning something to a former, better state. Land reclamation might involve razing a strip mall and planting crops. Reclamation is the noun form of the verb to reclaim. Most people involved in reclamation want to reclaim something out of a sense of moral or environmental duty. Since re- means "again," it makes sense that a reclamation involves restoring something to its former glory, especially something that has gone to the dogs. Anything that's fallen on hard times is a good candidate for reclamation.
Vocabulary lists containing reclamation
East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - High School
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Natural Resources and the Environment - Introductory
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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.
McKechnie - who once said he treats "broken-down athletes who are almost like reclamation projects" - had discovered Hargreaves' knee issues were caused by pelvic instability and therefore got him working to strengthen his core.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
The visual language recalls a simpler time — a reclamation of an innocence lost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
After watching Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl with the fifth NFL team of his career, more NFL teams might be willing to take a chance on a reclamation project.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
So too, perhaps, with Gyllenhaal’s telling of “The Bride!” with its visions of reckless abandon and personal reclamation — exclamation point and all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026
At that point, the Transit Authority hired William Bratton to head the transit police, and the second stage of the reclamation of the subway system began.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
