Definition of procure
procured
;procuring
transitive verb
1a : to get possession of : obtain by particular care and effortb : to get and make available for promiscuous sexual intercourse
2 : bring about, achieve procured the prisoner's release
intransitive verb
: to procure women
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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
She managed to procure a ticket to the concert.
The CIA believes the group is procuring weapons.
They still need to procure a marriage license.
He was charged with illegally procuring young women for wealthy clients.
Recent Examples of procure from the Web
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The alligator — taxidermied — was the property of L. Gordon Leech, the man who in 1920 procured the concession to run the Tidal Basin beach.
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The defendant in this case is charged with procuring and helping to obtain on behalf of the Chinese government technology that it is not allowed to have.
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That is, when two MBAs get married, both are poised to become business executives and produce lots of little MBA-procuring children.
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Successful manufacturers are those who curry favor with the government and procure hard currency at preferential rates.
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Vendors squeezed between the wreckage on the roadsides, selling bread patties and overpriced spring onions magically procured from somewhere.
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In December 2014, the German broadcaster ARD released a documentary that said the Russian government had helped procure drugs for athletes and cover up positive test results.
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Beilhack procured plastic chairs and a table for the balcony.
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After a short walk to a nearby subway stop, tickets were procured.
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.
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.”
Origin and Etymology of procure
Middle English, from Anglo-French procurer, from Late Latin procurare, from Latin, to take care of, from pro- for + cura care
First Known Use: 14th century
PROCURE Defined for English Language Learners
procure
playDefinition of procure for English Language Learners
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: to get (something) by some action or effort
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: to find or provide (a prostitute) for someone
PROCURE Defined for Kids
Law Dictionary
procure
playLegal Definition of procure
procured
procuring
: to obtain, induce, or cause to take place
procurable
adjectiveprocurer
nounLearn More about procure
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for procure Spanish Central: Translation of procure Nglish: Translation of procure for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of procure for Arabic speakers
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