purchase

SayPUR-chuhs/ˈpɝ.t͡ʃəs/UK/ˈpɜː(ɹ).t͡ʃəs/

Verbpurchases, purchasing, purchased

Noun pluralpurchases

15 meanings of purchase

Practice

1
buyverbtransitive
To buy something by paying money for it.
Like trading your money for something you want in a store.
They want to purchase a new house next year.
We purchased the tickets online last night.
UsageIt means buy. Buy is the word most people use every day.
Similarbuy, acquire, obtain, procure, get
Oppositesell
2
act of buyingnouncountable or uncountable
The act of buying something by paying for it.
Like the moment you hand over money and the thing becomes yours.
The purchase of a home is a big decision for many families.
You get a free drink with the purchase of any meal.
UsageSay make a purchase or the purchase of something.
Similaracquisition, buying
Oppositesale
3
nouncountable
Something that you have bought.
Like the bag of things you bring home from a shop.
She carried her purchases to the car.
Keep your receipt in case the purchase is faulty.
Similaracquisition, buy

Less common meanings

4
physical gripnounfigurativelyuncountable
A firm hold that helps you lift, move or climb something.
Like getting a good grip on a jar lid so you can twist it open.
The crowbar gave him enough purchase to lift the slab.
Without good purchase, the rope kept slipping.
UsageSay get purchase on something or get a purchase on something.
Note
5
influencenoununcountable
Power or influence that helps an idea or a person be accepted or have an effect.
The idea of a four-day school week never gained much purchase in our town.
His warnings had little purchase with the other players on the team.
UsageUsually gain purchase or find little purchase. It has nothing to do with buying.
Similartraction, foothold, influence
Note
6
what money getsverbtransitive
To be worth a certain amount when used to buy things.
Like how the same money can buy a lot or a little, depending on prices.
These coins purchase very little in the modern economy.
A single dollar no longer purchases what it once did.
Similarbuy
Note
7
land (law)noundatedcountable or uncountable
Getting land or property through your own deal, not by inheriting it.
Like owning a house because you made a deal for it, not because a relative left it to you.
In the old records, the family's estate came by purchase, not inheritance.
The lawyer noted that the land had passed by purchase rather than descent.
Oppositedescent, inheritance
Note
8
win by effortverbtransitive
To get something by working hard or giving something up, not by paying money.
Like earning a prize by chasing after it for a long time.
They gave their lives to purchase freedom for their children.
Such tactics rarely purchase lasting respect.
Note
9
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
The act of looking for and getting something, like property.
Note
10
noun
A pulley or set of ropes and blocks used to lift heavy loads more easily.
11
verb
To lift or move something heavy using a lever, pulley, or similar tool.
12
noun
The price of a property, worked out as so many years of its yearly rent.
13
nounarchaic
Anything you get or take, whether you got it fairly or not.
14
verbobsolete
To work hard or struggle to get something.
15
verbobsolete
To make up for a wrong by paying a fine or giving something up.
Not tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses.
c. 1591, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of purchase apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

Built from pur- (from Latin pro-) plus a word meaning "to chase, pursue," Anglo-Norman purchacer meant "seek to obtain" and became Middle English purchasen.