reclaim
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to take back something that belongs to you or was taken away.
v.to demand or obtain the return of property or rights; to repossess.
Simple“You can reclaim your lost luggage at the airport service desk.”
In context“The company sought to reclaim its intellectual property rights after the partnership dissolved unexpectedly.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make land like a desert or a swamp good enough for farming or building.
v.to bring uncultivated or flooded land into a condition suitable for cultivation or habitation.
Simple“The city plans to reclaim the old industrial site and turn it into a park.”
In context“The Dutch have spent centuries reclaiming land from the sea through an intricate system of dikes and pumps.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to take a word that was used as an insult and start using it with pride.
v.to reappropriate a derogatory term for use as a positive self-identifier by the group it was originally used against.
Simple“Many groups have worked to reclaim words that were once used to hurt them.”
In context“The community sought to reclaim the slur, transforming it from a tool of oppression into a symbol of collective pride and resistance.”
Synonymsreappropriaterepurpose - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to get useful materials out of waste or old products.
v.to obtain useful substances or materials from waste products or discarded items.
Simple“The factory uses a special process to reclaim rubber from old tyres.”
In context“Advanced chemical processes allow technicians to reclaim precious metals from discarded electronic components with high efficiency.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.the place at an airport where you pick up your bags after a flight.
n.the area in an airport or station where arriving passengers collect their checked luggage.
Simple“I will meet you near the exit of the baggage reclaim.”
In context“After passing through passport control, passengers should proceed directly to reclaim to identify their suitcases.”
Synonymsbaggage claim
“School phone bans can help reclaim classrooms, and families' "digital hygiene" can also play a role.”
“The best signing of the summer may be Como paying €60m to reclaim Nico Paz, who they bought for far less money in 2024.”
From Middle English reclaymen, recleymen, reclamen, from Anglo-Norman reclamer (noun reclaim and Middle French reclamer (noun reclaim), from Latin reclāmō, reclāmāre. Equivalent to re- + claim.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.