Claim — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈklām/

Meaning & Definition of Claim

Claim (verb)

  1. to ask for especially as a right
  2. to call for, require
  3. take

Claim (noun)

  1. a demand for something due or believed to be due
  2. a right to something; specifically, a title to a debt, privilege, or other thing in the possession of another
  3. an assertion open to challenge

Claim (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to state as a fact usually forcefully

    "people who claim that they have been kidnapped by aliens from other worlds"

    similar: affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend, declare, insist, maintain, profess, protest, purport, warrant, put forth
    related: announce, broadcast, proclaim, argue, rationalize, reason, confirm, justify, vindicate, defend, persevere, support, uphold, reaffirm, reassert
    opposite: deny, gainsay
    near: abandon, disavow, disclaim, disown, negate, negative, reject, repudiate, challenge, dispute, question, confute, disprove, rebut, refute, contradict, counter

  2. to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority

    "after many years had passed, he suddenly appeared to claim his inheritance"

    similar: call (for), clamor (for), command, demand, enjoin, exact, insist (on), press (for), quest, stipulate (for)
    related: ask, plead (for), request, want, cry (for), necessitate, need, require, take, warrant, requisition, impose, badger, dun, harass, hound
    near: give up, relinquish, surrender, yield

  3. to deprive of life

    "cancer claims hundreds of thousands of Americans each year"

    similar: carry off, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, take, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

  4. to have as a requirement

    "caring for her three small children claims virtually all of her time"

    similar: bear, challenge, demand, necessitate, need, require, take, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

Claim (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an entitlement to something

    "I'm announcing my claim to that last slice of pizza"

    similar: call, dibs, pretense, pretension, right
    related: birthright, prerogative, title, favor, privilege, refusal
    near: disclaimer, quitclaim, release, waiver

  2. a legal right to participation in the advantages, profits, and responsibility of something

    "a shareholder has a claim in the business"

    similar: interest, share, stake
    related: co-ownership, ownership, part, partnership, possession, title

  3. a solemn and often public declaration of the truth or existence of something

    "Galileo's claim that the moon has a very irregular surface and thus is not the perfect sphere that the ancients had imagined"

    similar: affirmation, assertion, asseveration, avouchment, avowal, declaration, insistence, profession, protestation
    related: allegation, announcement, proclamation, pronouncement, argument, justification, rationalization, reason, confirmation, reaffirmation, reconfirmation, vindication
    opposite: disavowal
    near: disclaimer, challenge, dispute, question, confutation, disproof, rebuttal, refutation, contradiction, denial, negation

  4. something that someone insists upon having

    "young children make great claims on their parents' time"

    similar: demand, dun, importunity, requisition, ultimatum
    related: desire, request, want, wish, drive, need, requirement, stipulation, basic, essential, must, imposition, condition, provision

Related Entry: Cross-claim (noun)

Cross-claim is a different word from Claim. The synonyms below are for cross-claim, not for claim.

  1. as in counterclaim, countersuit

    similar: counterclaim, countersuit, cross action, litigation, case, cause, complaint, action, lawsuit, proceeding, suit

Related Entry: Stake (verb)

Stake is a different word from Claim. The synonyms below are for stake, not for claim.

  1. to provide money for

    "the actor staked the entire production of the film with his own money"

    similar: bankroll, capitalize, endow, finance, fund, subsidize, underwrite
    related: grubstake, cofinance, refinance, advocate, aid, back, champion, endorse, patronize, sponsor, support, maintain, nourish, provide (for), clear, defray, discharge, foot, liquidate, pay, pay off, pay up, quit, recompense, settle, spring (for), stand, refund
    opposite: defund

  2. to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event

    "I'd stake a year's salary that she'll win the general election"

    similar: bet, gamble, go, lay, play, put, wager
    related: bid, offer, adventure, chance, hazard, speculate, venture, endanger, imperil, jeopardize

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Claim

The most common words with a similar meaning to Claim:

Slang: croak
Chiefly British: do for
affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend, declare, insist, maintain, profess, protest, purport, warrant, call (for), clamor (for), command, demand, enjoin, exact, insist (on), press (for), quest, stipulate (for), carry off, destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, take, bear, challenge, necessitate, need, require, want, put forth, do away with

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Claim

Words with the opposite meaning of Claim:

deny, gainsay, animate, have, hold, disavowal

Related Words for Claim

announce, broadcast, proclaim, argue, rationalize, reason, confirm, justify, vindicate, defend, persevere, support, uphold, reaffirm, reassert, ask, plead (for), request, cry (for), impose, badger, harass, hound, bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice, knock off

Near Antonyms of Claim

abandon, disavow, disclaim, disown, negate, negative, reject, repudiate, challenge, dispute, question, confute, disprove, rebut, refute, contradict, counter, give up, relinquish, surrender, yield, raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture, own, possess, disclaimer

Word Forms of Claim

Inflections: claimed, claiming, claims

Derived words: claimable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Claim

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

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Claim

claim form, claim someone's life, claim to fame, baggage claim, cross-claim, stake a claim

Frequently Asked Questions about Claim

What does "Claim" mean?

"Claim" means to ask for especially as a right. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to ask for especially as a right. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Claim"?

Other words for "Claim" include affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend and declare. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Claim" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Claim"?

There are 160 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Claim". Common alternatives include affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend, declare, insist and maintain.

What is the opposite of "Claim"?

Antonyms of "Claim" include deny, gainsay, animate, have, hold and disavowal. Near antonyms include abandon, disavow, disclaim and disown.

How do you use "Claim" in a sentence?

Examples of "Claim" in a sentence: "people who claim that they have been kidnapped by aliens from other worlds"; "after many years had passed, he suddenly appeared to claim his inheritance"; "cancer claims hundreds of thousands of Americans each year".

Is "Claim" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Claim" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Claim"?

"Claim" is pronounced /ˈklām/.

What is the origin of the word "Claim"?

"Claim" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French claimer, clamer, from Latin clamare to cry out, shout; akin to Latin calare to call low:3. First known use: 14th century.