# reclaim

/ɹiˈkɫeɪm/ (US) · /ɹɪklˈeɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/reclaim
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to get something back

verb · CEFR B2

to take back something that belongs to you or was taken away.

For teachers: to demand or obtain the return of property or rights; to repossess.

- You can reclaim your lost luggage at the airport service desk.
- The company sought to reclaim its intellectual property rights after the partnership dissolved unexpectedly.

### 2. to make land useful

verb · CEFR B2

to make land like a desert or a swamp good enough for farming or building.

For teachers: to bring uncultivated or flooded land into a condition suitable for cultivation or habitation.

- The city plans to reclaim the old industrial site and turn it into a park.
- The Dutch have spent centuries reclaiming land from the sea through an intricate system of dikes and pumps.

### 3. to reuse a word

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to take a word that was used as an insult and start using it with pride.

For teachers: to reappropriate a derogatory term for use as a positive self-identifier by the group it was originally used against.

- Many groups have worked to reclaim words that were once used to hurt them.
- The community sought to reclaim the slur, transforming it from a tool of oppression into a symbol of collective pride and resistance.

### 4. to recycle materials

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to get useful materials out of waste or old products.

For teachers: to obtain useful substances or materials from waste products or discarded items.

- The factory uses a special process to reclaim rubber from old tyres.
- Advanced chemical processes allow technicians to reclaim precious metals from discarded electronic components with high efficiency.

### 5. baggage area

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

the place at an airport where you pick up your bags after a flight.

For teachers: the area in an airport or station where arriving passengers collect their checked luggage.

- I will meet you near the exit of the baggage reclaim.
- After passing through passport control, passengers should proceed directly to reclaim to identify their suitcases.

## Examples

- You can reclaim your lost luggage at the airport.
- The city plans to reclaim the abandoned industrial site and turn it into a public park for the community.
- Environmentalists argue that we must reclaim traditional farming techniques to restore soil health, while simultaneously reclaiming urban spaces from car-centric infrastructure to improve the overall quality of life.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.