claim

1 of 2

verb

claimed; claiming; claims

transitive verb

1
a
: to ask for especially as a right
claimed the inheritance
The driver claimed the right to a hearing.
b
: to call for : require
this matter claims our attention
c
: take sense 16b
the accident claimed her life
2
: to take as the rightful owner
claimed her baggage and left the airport
3
a
: to assert in the face of possible contradiction : maintain
claimed that he'd been cheated
is claimed to cause weight loss
b
: to claim to have
organization … which claims 11,000 … membersRolling Stone
c
: to assert to be rightfully one's own
claimed responsibility for the attack
claimable adjective

claim

2 of 2

noun

1
: a demand for something due or believed to be due
an insurance claim
2
a
: a right to something
specifically : a title to a debt, privilege, or other thing in the possession of another
The bank has a claim on their house.
b
: an assertion open to challenge
a claim of authenticity
advertisers' extravagant claims
3
: something that is claimed
especially : a tract of land staked out
The prospector's claim was set at 90 yards to reduce the potential for conflict.
Choose the Right Synonym for claim

demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary.

demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Examples of claim in a Sentence

Verb He claims a connection to British royalty. The organization claims 10,000 members. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack. New Yorkers proudly claim the artist as one of their own. Both of them claimed credit for the idea. No one ever claimed authorship for the poem. You should claim compensation for the hours you worked. No heirs came forward to claim the inheritance. Noun She makes the claim that sea levels will actually go down. He made false claims about his past job experience. You'll need to file an insurance claim to pay for the damage. make a claim on your insurance policy All claims must be made in writing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
One prominent Australian YouTuber, Limitless Lindy, claims to have lost 500 pounds over a little more than two years by adhering to a strict carnivore diet. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 This violates antitrust law, the lawsuit claims, by tying the purchase of a Birkin to the purchase of other luxury items. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for claim 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'claim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French claimer, clamer, from Latin clamare to cry out, shout; akin to Latin calare to call — more at low entry 3

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of claim was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near claim

Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claim. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

claim

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to ask for as rightfully belonging to oneself
claim an inheritance
b
: to call for : require
business that claims attention
2
: to put an end to life : take
an accident claimed his life
3
a
: to state as a fact : maintain
claimed to have been cheated
b
: to make a claim
claimed to know nothing about it
claimable adjective
claimer noun

claim

2 of 2 noun
1
: a demand for something due or believed to be due
an insurance claim
2
a
: a right or title to something
b
: a statement that may be doubted
a claim of authenticity
3
: something claimed
especially : an area of land marked out by a settler or prospector
Etymology

Verb

Middle English claimen "to ask for as a right, claim," from early French clamer (same meaning), from Latin clamare "to shout" — related to acclaim, clamor

Legal Definition

claim

noun
1
a
: a demand for something (as money) due or believed to be due
specifically : a demand for a benefit (as under the workers' compensation law) or contractual payment (as under an insurance policy)
b
: a paper embodying such a demand
filing a claim with the court
2
: a title to something (as a debt or privilege) in the possession of another
assigned her claim to the proceeds
3
a
: a right to seek a judicial remedy arising from a wrong or injury suffered
a plaintiff who has been injured in an accident has…one claim for a broken arm, another for a ruptured spleen, and so forthJ. H. Friedenthal et al.
also : the formal assertion of such a right
bringing a claim in the district court
b
: cause of action sense 1
a plaintiff stating a claim for negligence
see also res judicata

Note: A cause of action may encompass more than one claim as the term is used in sense 3a. Claim is often used to mean cause of action, however, especially in modern federal practice.

c
: a right to payment or to an equitable remedy as set forth in the Bankruptcy Code see also proof of claim
4
: a formal assertion made by an applicant for a patent of the novelty and patentability of an invention with a description of the invention and its purpose
claim transitive verb
Etymology

Noun

Old French, from clamer to call, claim, from Latin clamare to shout, proclaim

More from Merriam-Webster on claim

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