procure

verb

pro·cure | \ prə-ˈkyu̇r

, prō- \

procured; procuring

Definition of procure

1 transitive : to get possession of (something) : to obtain (something) by particular care and effort procure a loan She had managed to procure a hat shaped like a life-size lion's head, which was perched precariously on her head.— J. K. Rowling

2 transitive : to bring about or achieve (something) by care and effort was unable to procure the prisoner's release

3 transitive + intransitive : to obtain (someone) to be employed for sex (as for an individual or in a house of prostitution) … accused of acting as a "madam" and "procuring girls" for wealthy sex offender Epstein—claims that she strongly denies. — The New York Post No one has been prosecuted … for pimping or procuring …— Jacqueline Martis

Other Words from procure Synonyms & Antonyms Distinctive Meanings of Procure More Example Sentences Learn More About procure

Distinctive Meanings of Procure

Procure, like many other English words, has a split personality. On the one hand, it may carry a perfectly benign meaning, such as "to obtain" (“she procured supplies”) or "to bring about" (“the settlement was successfully procured”). On the other hand, it has long been used in the specific sense of obtaining someone for, or bringing about, sexually promiscuous purposes. In this regard it is similar to the word pander, which entered the English language with the innocent meaning “a go-between in love intrigues” (the word comes from the name Pandare, a character in Chaucer’s poem Troilus and Criseyde who facilitates the affair between the titular characters), and soon after took on the meaning “pimp.”

Examples of procure in a Sentence

It was at that encounter in Pakistan that Faris was put in charge of procuring acetylene torches to slice suspension cables, as well as torque tools to bend portions of train track. — Daniel Eisenberg, Time, 30 June 2003 He was stationed down in South Carolina about a year when he became engaged to an Irish Catholic girl whose father, a marine major and a one-time Purdue football coach, had procured him the cushy job as drill instructor in order to keep him at Parris Island to play ball. — Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997 Unlike an agent, whose chief task is to procure acting roles and handle the legal negotiations of an actor's contract, a personal manager's influence is more pervasive … — Nikki Grimes, Essence, March 1995

Recent Examples on the Web The US Space Force will then procure this capability for use by the US Space Command, which is responsible for military operations in outer space. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2022 Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar urged citizens to procure weapons, even to make molotov cocktails, the petrol bombs that function as hand grenades. — Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2022 Police departments in Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont, California, New York and Pennsylvania have all announced initiatives to procure and donate protective equipment. — Emma Tucker And Zachary Cohen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2022 Along these lines, the White House is reportedly considering an investment program to procure heat pumps and send them to Europe—as Bill McKibben proposed recently—which could considerably bring down energy demand in homes and buildings. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 9 Mar. 2022 The money is used to procure and ship vaccines, as well as provide syringes and delivery support in countries. — NBC News, 23 Feb. 2022 Congress put a total of $16.05 billion in the American Rescue Plan this year, in two separate tranches, that could be used to procure and manufacture treatments, vaccines and other tools for ending the pandemic. — Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021 Its website shows an allocation of Rs3,100 crore to procure ventilators and towards the welfare of migrant workers and vaccine development. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 1 Nov. 2021 Cloud MSPs help customers procure and use new SaaS and other cloud technologies, allowing them to both keep their current digital transformation journey on track and achieve new objectives on this journey. — Manoj Nair, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'procure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.