claim, v. t. [OE. clamen, claimen, OF. clamer, fr. L. clamare to cry out, call; akin to calare to proclaim, Gr. kalei^n to call, Skr. kal to sound, G. holen to fetch, E. hale haul.].

To ask for, or seek to obtain, by virtue of authority, right, or supposed right; to challenge as a right; to demand as due. [1913 Webster]
To proclaim. Spenser. [1913 Webster]
To call or name. Spenser. [1913 Webster]
To assert; to maintain. [1913 Webster]

claim, v. i.

To be entitled to anything; to deduce a right or title; to have a claim. [1913 Webster]

"We must know how the first ruler, from whom any one claims, came by his authority." [1913 Webster]

claim, n. [Of. claim cry, complaint, from clamer. See Claim, v. t.].

A demand of a right or supposed right; a calling on another for something due or supposed to be due; an assertion of a right or fact. [1913 Webster]
A right to claim or demand something; a title to any debt, privilege, or other thing in possession of another; also, a title to anything which another should give or concede to, or confer on, the claimant. Hallam. [1913 Webster]
The thing claimed or demanded; that (as land) to which any one intends to establish a right; ; as, a settler's claim; a miner's claim. [1913 Webster]
A loud call. Spenser [1913 Webster]

To lay claim to, to demand as a right. “Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?” Shak.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

claim, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 a (often foll. by that + clause) demand as one's due or property. b (usu. absol.) submit a request for payment under an insurance policy.
2 a represent oneself as having or achieving (claim victory; claim accuracy). b (foll. by to + infin.) profess (claimed to be the owner). c assert, contend (claim that one knows).
3 have as an achievement or a consequence (could then claim five wins; the fire claimed many victims).
4 (of a thing) deserve (one's attention etc.).
--n.
1 a a demand or request for something considered one's due (lay claim to; put in a claim). b an application for compensation under the terms of an insurance policy.
2 (foll. by to, on) a right or title to a thing (his only claim to fame; have many claims on my time).
3 a contention or assertion.
4 a thing claimed.
5 a statement of the novel features in a patent.
6 Mining a piece of land allotted or taken.

Idiom

no claim (or claims) bonus a reduction of an insurance premium after an agreed period without a claim under the terms of the policy.

Derivative

claimable adj. claimer n.

Etymology

ME f. OF claime f. clamer call out f. L clamare

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THESAURUS

claim

absolute interest, acquire, adduce, advance, adverse possession, affidavit, affirm, affirmation, allegation, allege, alodium, application, appurtenance, argue, ask, ask for, assert, assertion, authority, avow, be enfeoffed of, be entitled to, be hurting for, be indicated, be possessed of, be seized of, benefit, bill, bill of complaint, birthright, blackmail, boast, burgage, call, call for, catch up, challenge, claim, clamor for, clap hands on, clasp, claw, clench, clinch, clutch, colony, command, common, complaint, conjugal right, contend, contingent interest, contribution, cry for, cry out for, de facto, de jure, declaration, declare, defend, demand, demand for, dependency, deposition, derivative title, divine right, draft, drain, drain off, draw off, droit, due, duty, easement, embrace, enjoy, equitable interest, equity, estate, exact, exaction, extort, extortion, extortionate demand, faculty, fee fief, fee position, fee simple, fee simple absolute, fee simple conditional, fee simple defeasible, fee simple determinable, fee tail, feodum, feud, fiefdom, fill, frankalmoign, free socage, freehold, gavelkind, get, get hold of, glom on to, grab, grab hold of, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, have, have and hold, have in hand, have occasion for, have tenure of, having title to, heavy demand, hold, holding, hug, impose, imposition, impost, inalienable right, indent, insist on, insist upon, insistent demand, interest, issue an ultimatum, justify, knight service, lay claim to, lay fee, lay hands on, lay hold of, lease, leasehold, legal claim, legal possession, levy, libel, limitation, loot, maintain, make a demand, mandate, nail, narratio, natural right, need, nip, nip up, nolle prosequi, nonnegotiable demand, nonsuit, notice, occupancy, occupation, occupy, order, order up, original title, owning, palm, part, partake, percentage, petition, pillage, place an order, pocket, possess, possessing, possession, postulate, power, preoccupancy, preoccupation, prepossession, prerequire, prerogative, prescription, presumptive right, pretend, pretend to, pretense, pretension, pretext, privilege, profess, profession, proper claim, property, property right, property rights, proprietary rights, protest too much, protestation, purport, put forth, put in requisition, receive, rend from, rending, request, require, requirement, requisition, right, right of entry, rights, ripping, rush, rush order, screw, seek, seisin, seize, set forth, settlement, share, snap up, snatch, socage, solicit, squat, squat on, squatting, stake, state, statement, statement of facts, steal, strict settlement, sublease, take, take by assault, take by storm, take doing, take hold of, take possession, tax, taxing, tear from, tearing, tenancy, tenantry, tenure, tenure in chivalry, title, tribute, trust, ultimatum, underlease, undertenancy, use, usucapion, usucapt, vested interest, vested right, villein socage, villeinhold, villenage, vindicate, want, want doing, warn, warning, warrant, whip up, wrench, wrench from, wrenching, wrest, wresting, wring, wring from, wringing

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ROGET THESAURUS

claim

Requirement

N requirement, need, wants, necessities, necessaries, necessaries of life, stress, exigency, pinch, sine qua non, matter of necessity, case of need, case of life or death, needfulness, essentiality, necessity, indispensability, urgency, requisition, run upon, demand, call for, charge, claim, command, injunction, mandate, order, precept, desideratum, want, Adj, required, requisite, needful, necessary, imperative, essential, indispensable, prerequisite, called for, in demand, in request, urgent, exigent, pressing, instant, crying, absorbing, in want of, destitute of, ex necessitate rei, of necessity, there is no time to lose, it cannot be spared, it cannot be dispensed with, mendacem memorem esse oportet, necessitas non habet legem, nec tecum possum trivere nec sine te.

Command

N command, order, ordinance, act, fiat, hukm, bidding, dictum, hest, behest, call, beck, nod, despatch, dispatch, message, direction, injunction, charge, instructions, appointment, fixture, demand, exaction, imposition, requisition, claim, reclamation, revendication, ultimatum, request, requirement, dictation, dictate, mandate, caveat, decree, senatus consultum, precept, prescript, rescript, writ, ordination, bull, ex cathedra pronouncement, edict, decretal, dispensation, prescription, brevet, placit, ukase, ukaz, firman, hatti- sherif, warrant, passport, mittimus, mandamus, summons, subpoena, nisi prius, interpellation, citation, word, word of command, mot d'ordre, bugle call, trumpet call, beat of drum, tattoo, order of the day, enactment, plebiscite, commanding, authoritative, decretory, decretive, decretal, callable, jussive, in a commanding tone, by a stroke of the pen, by a dash of the pen, by order, at beat of drum, on the first summons, the decree is gone forth, sic volo sic jubeo, le Roi le veut, boutez en avant.

VB command, order, decree, enact, ordain, dictate, direct, give orders, prescribe, set, appoint, mark out, set a task, prescribe a task, impose a task, set to work, put in requisition, bid, enjoin, charge, call upon, instruct, require at the hands of, exact, impose, tax, task, demand, insist on, claim, lay claim to, revendicate, reclaim, cite, summon, call for, send for, subpoena, beckon, issue a command, make a requisition, issue a requisition, promulgate a requisition, make a decree, issue a decree, promulgate a decree, make an order, issue an order, promulgate an order, give the word of command, give the word, give the signal, call to order, give the law, lay down the law, assume the command, remand, be ordered, receive an order.

Request

N request, requisition, claim, petition, suit, prayer, begging letter, round robin, motion, overture, application, canvass, address, appeal, apostrophe, imprecation, rogation, proposal, proposition, orison, incantation, mendicancy, asking, begging, postulation, solicitation, invitation, entreaty, importunity, supplication, instance, impetration, imploration, obsecration, obtestation, invocation, interpellation, requesting, precatory, suppliant, supplicant, supplicatory, postulant, obsecratory, importunate, clamorous, urgent, cap in hand, on one's knees, on one's bended knees, on one's marrowbones, prithee, do, please, pray, be so good as, be good enough, have the goodness, vouchsafe, will you, I pray thee, if you please, Int, for God's sake!, for heaven's sake!, for goodness' sake!, for mercy's sake!, Dieu vous garde, dirigenos Domine, would you be so kind as to.

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Property

N property, possession, suum cuique, meum et tuum, ownership, proprietorship, lordship, seignority, empire, interest, stake, estate, right, title, claim, demand, holding, tenure, vested interest, contingent interest, beneficial interest, equitable interest, use, trust, benefit, legal estate, equitable estate, seizin, seisin, absolute interest, paramount estate, freehold, fee tail, fee simple, estate in fee, estate in tail, estate tail, estate in tail male, estate in tail female, estate in tail general, limitation, term, lease, settlement, strict settlement, particular estate, estate for life, estate for years, estate pur autre vie, remainder, reversion, expectancy, possibility, dower, dowry, jointure, appanage, inheritance, heritage, patrimony, alimony, legacy, Falcidian law, paternal estate, thirds, assets, belongings, means, resources, circumstances, wealth, money, what one is worth, what one will cut up for, estate and effects, landed property, landed real estate property, realty, land, lands, tenements, hereditaments, corporeal hereditaments, incorporeal hereditaments, acres, ground, acquest, messuage, toft, territory, state, kingdom, principality, realm, empire, protectorate, sphere of influence, manor, honor, domain, demesne, farm, plantation, hacienda, allodium, fief, fieff, feoff, feud, zemindary, dependency, arado, merestead, ranch, free lease-holds, copy lease-holds, folkland, chattels real, fixtures, plant, heirloom, easement, right of common, right of user, personal property, personal estate, personal effects, personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables, stock, stock in trade, things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia, equipage, parcels, appurtenances, impedimenta, luggage, baggage, bag and baggage, pelf, cargo, lading, rent roll, income, maul and wedges, patent, copyright, chose in action, credit, debt, one's own, landed, predial, manorial, allodial, free lease-hold, copy lease-hold, feudal, feodal, to one's credit, to one's account, to the good, to one and his heirs for ever, to one and the heirs of his body, to one and his heirs and assigns, to one and his executors administrators and assign.

Lawsuit

N lawsuit, suit, action, cause, litigation, suit in law, dispute, citation, arraignment, prosecution, impeachment, accusation, presentment, true bill, indictment, apprehension, arrest, committal, imprisonment, writ, summons, subpoena, latitat, nisi prius, venire, venire facias pleadings, declaration, bill, claim, proces verbal, bill of right, information, corpus delicti, affidavit, state of facts, answer, reply, replication, plea, demurrer, rebutter, rejoinder, surrebutter, surrejoinder, suitor, party to a suit, plaintiff, defendant, litigant, hearing, trial, verdict, appeal, appeal motion, writ of error, certiorari, case, decision, precedent, decided case, reports (legal reference works, see reference books), litigious, qui tam, coram judice, sub judice, pendente lite, adhuc sub judice lis est, accedas ad curiam, transeat in exemplum.

Dueness

N due, dueness, right, privilege, prerogative, prescription, title, claim, pretension, demand, birthright, immunity, license, liberty, franchise, vested interest, vested right, sanction, authority, warranty, charter, warrant, constitution, tenure, bond, claimant, appellant, plaintiff, having a right to, entitled to, claiming, deserving, meriting, worthy of, privileged, allowed, sanctioned, warranted, authorized, ordained, prescribed, constitutional, chartered, enfranchised, prescriptive, presumptive, absolute, indefeasible, unalienable, inalienable, imprescriptible, inviolable, unimpeachable, unchallenged, sacrosanct, due to, merited, deserved, condign, richly deserved, allowable, lawful, licit, legitimate, legal, legalized, square, unexceptionable, right, equitable, due, en r gle, fit, fitting, correct, proper, meet, befitting, becoming, seemly, decorous, creditable, up to the mark, right as a trivet, just the thing, quite the thing, selon les r gles, duly, ex officio, de jure, by right, by divine right, jure divino, Dei gratia, in the name of, civis Romanus sum, +a chaque saint sa chandelle.

VB be due, to, be the due, of, have right to, have title to, have claim to, be entitled to, have a claim upon, belong to, deserve, merit, be worthy of, richly deserve, demand, claim, call upon for, come upon for, appeal to for, revendicate, reclaim, exact, insist on, insist upon, challenge, take one's stand, make a point of, require, lay claim to, assert, assume, arrogate, make good, substantiate, vindicate a claim, vindicate a right, fit for, qualify for, make out a case, give a right, confer a right, entitle, authorize, sanctify, legalize, ordain, prescribe, allot, give every one his due, pay one's dues, have one's due, have one's rights, use a right, assert, enforce, put in force, lay under contribution.

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