claim

1 of 2

verb

ˈklām 

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 … members

—Rolling Stone

c

: to assert to be rightfully one's own

claimed responsibility for the attack

claimable

ˈklā-mə-bəl 

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.

Synonyms

Verb

• insist
• allege
• assert
• contend
• declare
• maintain

Noun

• right

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

Columbia University has offered $9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by former students who claimed the university had submitted inaccurate data to U.S. News & World Report, according to the Columbia Spectator. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

Suge Knight alleged that the rapper had pleaded with mom Afeni Shakur about ending his life, and Knight claims that Afeni gave him pills to assist in expediting that process. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 July 2025

Noun

To make sure his company was in good hands and to sidestep nepotism claims, the 75-year-old billionaire sent his kids on a quest: get an MBA, work for a competitor for five years, and spend over a decade rising the ranks. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 July 2025

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of paralegals and legal assistants to grow slower than the average for all occupations while roles for credit analysts, claims adjusters and insurance appraisers to decrease. —Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025

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

Phrases Containing claim

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

Rhymes for claim

• aim
• blame
• brame
• came
• dame
• fame
• flame
• frame
• game
• haim
• lame
• maim

Kids Definition

claim

1 of 2 verb

ˈklām 

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

ˈklā-mə-bəl 

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 forth

—J. 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