The Meaning of Claim: What It Is and How To Use It

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You might have heard the word claim in idioms like “stake a claim” or “lay claim,” but what does the word claim mean? This article will cover the definition of our word of the day: claim. 

We will provide a few example sentences that contain the word claim, followed by translations of claim, synonyms of claim, and antonyms of claim. People might claim to know what the word claim means, but by the end of this article, you really will be an expert!

What Does Claim Mean?

According to Dictionary, the word claim can be a noun or a verb. The definition of claim as a noun is a demand or assertion. As a verb, claim can be intransitive or transitive, meaning to demand or assert a right to. The pronunciation of claim is kleɪm. A person who claims is known as a claimant or claimer.

How Can We Use Claim in a Sentence?

In daily life, you can use the word claim as a noun or a verb. Read through the example sentences below, which contain the word claim. See if you can determine if each sentence uses the word claim as a noun or a verb. 

Here’s a hint: If the word claim is a noun, it will probably have an article before it. On the other hand, if the word claim is a verb, it will be an action.

Example #1

He filed a claim with his insurance company to ensure he received the proper sum of money to repair his car after the accident.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a noun.

Example #2

His insurance claim was denied because he had a low-grade insurance policy that did not cover anything. He decided to upgrade his policy for the future.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a noun.

Example #3

The people in the east migrated to the west to claim a piece of land before anyone else.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a verb.

Example #4

The public did not believe the government’s claims that they were doing anything to make a difference with the problems in the country.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a noun.

Example #5

After she got injured on the job, the woman claimed unemployment benefits and explored the workers’ compensation law.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a verb.

Example #6

After he claimed that the man hit his car, he was hit with a counterclaim of defamation, which was the other person’s legal right.

Question: Is the word claim a noun or a verb in the above sentence?

Answer: Claim is a verb.

What Is the Etymology of Claim?

Originally in Middle English, claim was a verb. This term comes from the Old French clamer and Latin clamare or claimen.

What Are Translations of Claim?

People can make claims in many different countries and languages! Nice Translator will teach you all about how to say the word claim in languages besides American English and British English. You can use this list if you plan on traveling to a different country where English is not a primary language. 

  • Bulgarian: иск
  • Romanian: Revendicare
  • German: Klage
  • Malayalam: അവകാശം
  • Finnish: vaatia
  • Arabic: مطالبة
  • Turkish: iddia
  • Telugu: దావా
  • Filipino: paghahabol
  • Latvian: apgalvojums
  • Hungarian: követelés
  • Bengali: দাবি
  • Japanese: 請求
  • Hindi: दावा
  • Marathi: हक्क
  • Kannada: ಹಕ್ಕು
  • Lithuanian: reikalavimas
  • Basque: demanda
  • Thai: เรียกร้อง
  • Vietnamese: yêu cầu
  • Greek: απαίτηση
  • Estonian: nõue
  • Spanish: reclamar
  • Korean: 주장하다
  • Polish: prawo
  • Swahili: madai
  • Welsh: proffesan
  • Russian: требовать
  • Slovak: nárok
  • Danish: påstand
  • Urdu: دعوی
  • Dutch: claim
  • Indonesian: mengeklaim
  • Hebrew: תְבִיעָה
  • Malay: tuntutan
  • Italian: reclamo
  • Portuguese (Portugal): alegar
  • Catalan: demandar
  • French: réclamer
  • Croatian: zahtjev
  • Czech: Nárok
  • Tamil: உரிமைகோரல்
  • Gujarati: દાવા
  • Norwegian: krav
  • Icelandic: krafa
  • Chinese (PRC): 宣称
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 宣稱
  • Slovenian: zahtevek
  • Ukrainian: претензія
  • Portuguese (Brazil): alegar
  • Swedish: krav
  • Amharic: የይገባኛል ጥያቄ
  • Serbian: потраживање

What Are Synonyms of Claim?

Sometimes, the word claim might have a legal or more serious connotation. Sometimes, you might want to use the word claim, but it might not have the right connotation for your circumstances. 

To find alternate words for claim, you can read through this word list from Power Thesaurus:

  • affirm
  • affirmation
  • allegation
  • allege
  • appeal
  • application
  • argue
  • arrogate
  • ask
  • ask for
  • assert
  • assertion
  • aver
  • avow
  • call
  • call for
  • case
  • charge
  • claims
  • complaint
  • contend
  • contention
  • declaration
  • declare
  • demand
  • entitlement
  • exact
  • hold
  • insist
  • interest
  • maintain
  • petition
  • plea
  • plead
  • prerogative
  • pretend
  • pretension
  • profess
  • profession
  • request
  • require
  • requisition
  • right
  • say
  • seek
  • state
  • statement
  • submit
  • swear
  • take
  • title

What Are Antonyms of Claim?

Power Thesaurus also provides numerous words that have the opposite meaning of claim. The opposite of a word is known as its antonym.

  • abandon
  • abdicate
  • abdicate from
  • accusation
  • ackers
  • answer
  • applause mail
  • arrears
  • ask
  • ask a question
  • attack
  • badness
  • beg
  • beg for
  • bereave
  • bias
  • blame
  • booby prize
  • burden
  • challenge
  • charge
  • complaint
  • contest
  • contradict
  • controvert
  • corruption
  • crime
  • debt
  • denial
  • deny
  • desert
  • disadvantage
  • disallow
  • disavow
  • disclaim
  • disfavor
  • disown
  • dispute
  • forfeit
  • forgo
  • loss
  • question
  • quit
  • reject
  • rejection
  • relinquish
  • waive
  • waiver
  • withdraw

Conclusion

The word claim (klām) can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, a claim is some assertion or demand. As a verb, to claim means to demand or assert a right to. Try using the word claim in a sentence today!

Sources:

Claim synonyms – 2 394 Words and Phrases for Claim | Power Thesaurus 

Claim antonyms – 396 Opposites of Claim | Power Thesaurus 

Claim Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com 

Claim | Nice Translator