claim
/kleɪm/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.95 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A new statement of something one believes to be the truth, usually when the statement has yet to be verified or without valid evidence provided.
noun
A demand of ownership for previously unowned land.
noun
A legal demand for compensation or damages.
Example Sentences
- "a claim of ownership"
- "a claim of victory"
- "You don't have any claim on my time, since I'm no longer your employee."
- "The company's share price dropped amid claims of accounting fraud."
- "Bailey, in using accents, felt that he was 'directing to their proper pronuntiation' and showing 'the Orthoepia of the English Tongue' (title page, Dictionarium Britannicum, 1730 edition). The claim is ridiculous."
- "The thing is, we've even had formal confirmation from Government itself that the crucial research required to make such sweeping claims hasn't been done!"
Etymology
From Middle English claimen, borrowed from Old French clamer (“to call, name, send for”), from Latin clāmō, clāmāre (“to call, cry out”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to shout”), which is imitative. See also Lithuanian kalba (“language”), Old English hlōwan (“to low, make a noise like a cow”), Old High German halan (“to call”), Ancient Greek καλέω (kaléō, “to call, convoke”), κλέδον (klédon, “report, fame”), κέλαδος (kélados, “noise”), Middle Irish cailech (“cock”), Latin calō (“to call out, announce solemnly”), Sanskrit उषःकल (uṣaḥkala, “cock”, literally “dawn-calling”). Cognate with Spanish llamar and clamar.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kelh₁-, claimen, clamer, clamo
Usage
Inflected Forms
claims (plural)
claym (alternative)
claims (present, singular)
claiming (participle, present)
claimed (participle, past)
claimed (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
claimed (first person, past)
claimest (archaic, present)
claimed (past, second person)
claimedst (archaic, past)