purchase
Americanverb (used with object)
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to acquire by the payment of money or its equivalent; buy.
- Antonyms:
- sell
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to acquire by effort, sacrifice, flattery, etc.
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to influence by a bribe.
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to be sufficient to buy.
Twenty dollars purchases a subscription.
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Law. to acquire (land or other property) by means other than inheritance.
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to move, haul, or raise, especially by applying mechanical power.
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to get a leverage on; apply a lever, pulley, or other aid to.
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Obsolete. to procure, acquire, or obtain.
verb (used without object)
noun
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acquisition by the payment of money or its equivalent; buying, or a single act of buying.
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something that is purchased or bought.
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something purchased, with respect to value in relation to price; buy.
At three for a dollar they seemed like a good purchase.
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Law. the acquisition of land or other property by means other than inheritance.
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acquisition by means of effort, labor, etc..
the purchase of comfort at the price of freedom.
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a lever, pulley, or other device that provides mechanical advantage or power for moving or raising a heavy object.
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an effective hold or position for applying power in moving or raising a heavy object; leverage.
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any means of applying or increasing power, influence, etc.
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the annual return or rent from land.
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a firm grip or grasp, footing, etc., on something.
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Obsolete. booty.
verb
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to obtain (goods, etc) by payment
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to obtain by effort, sacrifice, etc
to purchase one's freedom
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to draw, haul, or lift (a load) with the aid of mechanical apparatus
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to acquire (an estate) other than by inheritance
noun
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something that is purchased, esp an article bought with money
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the act of buying
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acquisition of an estate by any lawful means other than inheritance
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a rough measure of the mechanical advantage achieved by a lever
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a firm foothold, grasp, etc, as for climbing or levering something
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a means of achieving some influence, advantage, etc
Related Words
See buy.
Other Word Forms
- mispurchase verb (used with object)
- nonpurchase noun
- nonpurchaser noun
- overpurchase verb (used with object)
- prepurchase noun
- prepurchaser noun
- purchaser noun
- quasi-purchased adjective
- unpurchased adjective
Etymology
Origin of purchase
First recorded before 1150; (for the verb) Middle English purchasen, from Anglo-French purchacer “to seek to obtain, procure,” from pur- (from Latin prō pro 1 ) + chacer “to chase” ( chase 1 ); noun derivative of the verb
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.
The couple have about 250 plants in their home and have noticed a rise in customers purchasing plants rather than flowers as they look for longer lasting items in their home.
From BBC
The U.S. efforts of Apple and its suppliers are modest relative to the global semiconductor supply chain, and Apple’s purchases represent a small percentage of its total demand for chips.
Many Flock plate readers, though, have been purchased by community groups.
From Los Angeles Times
Leicestershire Police fraud team supervisor Nicole McIntyre said fraud and cyber-crime now made up half of reported crime in England and Wales, and urged people not to rush into purchases online.
From BBC
A new buyer today can pay 10 times as much property tax as a neighbor who purchased in the 1970s.
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.
