purchase

verb

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pur·chase | \ ˈpər-chəs

purchased; purchasing

Definition of purchase

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to obtain by paying money or its equivalent : buy

b : to acquire (real estate) by means other than descent

c : to obtain by labor, danger, or sacrifice

d archaic : gain, acquire

2 : to constitute the means for buying Our dollars purchase less each year.

intransitive verb

: to purchase something

purchase

noun

Definition of purchase (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of purchasing

2 : something obtained especially for a price in money or its equivalent

3a(1) : an advantage (such as a firm hold or position) used in applying one's power clutching the steering wheel for more purchase— Barry Crump

(2) : a means of exerting power

b(1) : a mechanical hold or advantage applied to the raising or moving of heavy bodies

(2) : an apparatus or device by which advantage is gained

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Examples of purchase in a Sentence

Verb He purchased a new suit for a hundred dollars. I need to purchase a new heavy coat. Noun The CD player is guaranteed for one year from the date of purchase. The car was an expensive purchase. He displayed his recent purchases with pride. The ice made it impossible for the car's wheels to gain a purchase on the road. The surface was so slick that the wheels couldn't gain purchase.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb There’s no way to purchase one from Chewy, and the company doesn’t exactly say how someone will be selected. — Joseph Pisani, ajc, "Chewy sends pet paintings to keep customers from straying," 1 Jan. 2021 Make reservations for a free cocktail and appetizers from 4 to 6 p.m. or purchase a ticket for a four-course dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. or from 8:15 to 10 p.m., the latter followed by a midnight Champagne toast. — Linda Kessler, Dallas News, "Count down to 2021 at these New Year’s Eve celebrations in and around Dallas," 28 Dec. 2020 Cohen agreed to purchase it from developer Steve Wynn for $139 million, but Wynn accidentally damaged it. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "‘In a candy store with carte blanche,’ Connecticut billionaire Steve Cohen sparks new optimism as owner of the Mets," 27 Dec. 2020 Those eligible will be able to use their Bridge card to purchase a prepared meal from a participating restaurant. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan to allow some SNAP benefits to be used at restaurants," 23 Dec. 2020 The coronavirus pandemic caused Americans to spend a lot more time at home this year, prompting some to purchase air purifiers from brands like Molekule and PhoneSoap. — Zoe Malin, NBC News, "Air purifier bestsellers 2020: Most purchased air purifiers we covered," 21 Dec. 2020 Bolsonaro, who tested positive for the virus in July but who has continued to downplay its risks, assailed a health ministry decision to purchase 46 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine from the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. — Patrick J. Mcdonnell, Los Angeles Times, "As vaccine rollout nears, many concerns raised in Latin America, hard hit by COVID-19," 20 Dec. 2020 The city would retain for seven years an option to purchase the space between the depot and freight buildings to use as a transit hub, with a bus stop included at the site. — Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, "Fayetteville council holds parking deck contract, farm rezoning," 17 Dec. 2020 The brothers used the Cameo app, which allows people to purchase short, personalized video shout-outs from celebrities. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Smokey Robinson's mispronunciation of "Chanukah" in this video for a mom has gone viral," 15 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The new line is available for purchase online and exclusively at Louis Vuitton stores. — Katie Attardo, Marie Claire, "Louis Vuitton Taps Urs Fischer for a New Line," 6 Jan. 2021 Fully 90 percent of Toyota’s buyers conducted at least part of the purchase process online in 2020, with 10 percent never setting foot in a showroom. — Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News, "For the auto industry, 2020 was a horrible year — but it ended better than expected," 5 Jan. 2021 This bear spray offers multiple purchase configurations so the user can select between a quick-access belt or chest holster, a practice spray canister, or an additional canister. — Outdoor Life, "Best Bear Spray: Five Things to Consider," 5 Jan. 2021 In 2019, the industry was shocked when there was a record 28,369,750 gun purchase background checks. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, "Historic: FBI logs 40% jump in gun checks in 2020, a record 39M," 4 Jan. 2021 One city is considering providing a housing-purchase stipend of about $47,000 for families with three or more children. — Eun-young Jeong, WSJ, "South Korea’s Population Falls for First Time, Likely Worsened by Covid-19," 4 Jan. 2021 Anywhere Visa also offers purchase protection, which is a great benefit for all purchases, especially during the holiday season. — Jennifer Yellin, CNN Underscored, "Cash is king: The best cash back credit cards for 2021," 3 Jan. 2021 But as much purchase as MMT has found in this year’s fiscal policy debates, the attempts to extend the theory to larger political, social, and cultural questions have barely begun to attract any attention. — Alex Yablon, The New Republic, "This Year’s Underground Sensation: Modern Monetary Theory," 31 Dec. 2020 Each purchase helps support the Museum’s mission to bring art to the community. — Mary Lou Cruz, sun-sentinel.com, "Sunday calendar: Virtual community, entertainment events starting Jan. 3," 31 Dec. 2020

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

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Last Updated

13 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Purchase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purchase. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for purchase

purchase

verb

English Language Learners Definition of purchase

(Entry 1 of 2)

formal : to buy (property, goods, etc.) : to get (something) by paying money for it

purchase

noun

English Language Learners Definition of purchase (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of buying something

: something that is bought

: a firm hold or grip that makes movement possible

See the full definition for purchase in the English Language Learners Dictionary

purchase

verb

pur·chase | \ ˈpər-chəs

purchased; purchasing

Kids Definition of purchase

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to get by paying money : buy

purchase

noun

Kids Definition of purchase (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of buying the purchase of supplies

2 : something bought

3 : a firm hold or grasp or a safe place to stand I could not get a purchase on the slippery ledge.

purchase

verb

pur·chase

purchased; purchasing

Legal Definition of purchase

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to acquire (real property) by means other than descent or inheritance

2 : to obtain by paying money or giving other valuable consideration specifically : to take (property) by a voluntary transaction (as a sale, mortgage, pledge, lien, or gift) that creates an interest and that is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code — see also bona fide purchaser

intransitive verb

: to purchase something

purchase

noun

Legal Definition of purchase (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act or instance of purchasing: as

a : the acquiring of real property by any means other than descent or inheritance

b : the acquiring of an interest in property especially in exchange for valuable consideration — see also word of purchase

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