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
Synonym Usage
See buy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overpurchaseverb (used with object)
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prepurchasernoun
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purchasernoun
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unpurchasedadjective
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nonpurchasenoun
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quasi-purchasedadjective
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prepurchasenoun
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nonpurchasernoun
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mispurchaseverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has purchasedperfect 3rd person singular
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have purchasedperfect
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have been purchasingperfect progressive
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has been purchasingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am purchasingprogressive 1st person singular
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are purchasingprogressive
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purchasingparticiple
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purchasessingular 3rd person
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is purchasingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had purchasedperfect
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was purchasingprogressive singular
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were purchasingprogressive plural
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had been purchasingperfect progressive
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purchasedsimple
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purchasedparticiple
Future
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” ( see chase 1); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
When you purchase a pair of shoes, you buy them. If you want to gain purchase, or favor, with new friends, you might tell them about your recent purchase of chocolate, and offer to share. Purchase can refer to the act of buying or the thing you bought. In 1803, the United States paid France approximately $15,000,000 for 800,000 acres of land which was called Louisiana, in a transaction known as the Louisiana Purchase. In this transaction, the purchase nearly doubled the size of the U.S. — the territory purchased comprises about 23 percent of current U.S. land.
Vocabulary lists containing purchase
Material World: Shopping Lingo
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
But, if you're looking to reasons backing one team over another, BBC Sport Wales has tried to find some justification for the early alarm calls or the expensive replica shirt purchase.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The “covered call” strategy lowers the stock purchase price by the received call premium and obligates investors to sell stock higher.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
That allowed it to purchase Thom Browne and Tom Ford, brands that, just like Zegna, carry the name of their founder.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
An uneven job market and economic uncertainty are making buyers nervous about going through with a big purchase.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Using extreme caution, they only bought earphones from storeowners whom they trusted not to report the purchase to the Gestapo.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
