Meaning of claim in English

claim

verb

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/kleɪm/ uk

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/kleɪm/

claim verb (SAY)

B2 [ T ]

to say that something is true or is a fact, although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it:

[ + (that) ] The company claims (that) it is not responsible for the pollution in the river.

[ + to infinitive ] He claims to have met the president, but I don't believe him.

All parties have claimed success in yesterday's elections.

An unknown terrorist group has claimed responsibility for this morning's bomb attack.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

according to newspapers, records, etc.

according toAccording to reports, the ceasefire is holding.
as stated by/inAs stated by medical experts, these products are totally safe when used correctly.
as maintained byThere is no reason to change your diet, as maintained by some lifestyle experts.
as claimed bySo-called superfoods will not make you live longer, as claimed by some advertisers.

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Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to say something

sayWhen I say your name, raise your hand.
utterShe barely uttered a word all morning.
they sayThey say the house is haunted.
it is saidIt is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
stateUnion members stated that they were unhappy with the proposal.
remarkHe remarked that she was looking thin.

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[ T ]

If an organization or group claims a particular number of members, that number of people are believed to belong to it.

More examples

Some people still claim that there is no firm evidence linking smoking with lung cancer.
They claim to be the biggest company in the world, which is true if you include their subsidiaries.
The study claims that British advertising stereotypes women.
It is claimed that the officers tortured a man to death in 1983 in a city police station.
Dean tricked the old lady into giving him eight hundred dollars, claiming that he would invest it for her.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Assertions & asserting

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Having and owning - general words

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claim verb (DEMAND)

B2 [ T ]

to ask for something of value because you think it belongs to you or because you think you have a right to it:

The police said that if no one claims the watch, you can keep it.

When King Richard III died, Henry VII claimed the English throne.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to ask for something

ask forI asked the waiter for more water.
requestThe department has requested permission to spend money on new equipment.
apply forWe applied for a building permit to put an addition on the house.
demandPeople are demanding the right to return to their homes.
appeal forThe president appealed for calm.
call forA group of religious leaders are calling for an end to racism and injustice in the city.

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B2 [ I or T ]

to make a written demand for money from a government or organization because you think you have a right to it:

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits has risen sharply this month.

Don't forget to claim (for) your traveling expenses after the interview.

UK When my bike was stolen, I claimed on the insurance and got $150 back.

UK If the store won't give me a replacement TV, I'll claim my money back.

claim damages

to make an official request for money after an accident, from the person who caused your injuries

More examples

You can claim back the overpaid tax by filling in this form.
She is claiming damages from the company for wrongful dismissal.
If you don't claim the money you are entitled to now, you might never get it.
Can we claim on our insurance for any goods lost or damaged in transit?
He was claiming unemployment benefit illegally, while he was actually working.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Making appeals & requests

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Social security & state benefits

Insurance

Idioms

claim sb's life

claim the moral high ground

claim

noun [ C ]

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/kleɪm/ uk

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/kleɪm/

claim noun [C] (STATEMENT)

a statement that something is true or is a fact, although other people might not believe it:

He said the police assaulted him while he was in custody, a claim that the police deny.

[ + that ] The government's claim that it would reduce taxes proved false.

Can you give any evidence to support your claim?

He made wild claims about being able to cure cancer.

More examples

I haven't seen one iota of evidence to support his claim.
His claim to be an important and unjustly neglected painter is sheer self-deception - he's no good at all.
There is a growing body of evidence to support their claim.
Many experts remain skeptical about his claims.
I suspect his claims are not all they seem - he tends to exaggerate.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Assertions & asserting

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claim noun [C] (DEMAND)

a written request asking an organization to pay you an amount of money that you believe they owe you:

After her house was buglarized, she made a claim on her insurance.

Please submit your claim for traveling expenses to the accounts department.

a right to have something or get something from someone:

She has no rightful claim to the title.

Our neighbors have no claim to (= cannot say that they own) that strip of land between our houses.

My ex-wife has no claims on me (= has no right to any of my money).

More examples

I enclose a check in settlement of your claim.
He marked the spot on his map where he had seen the gold and returned later that month to stake his claim.
The company produced receipts in substantiation of its claim.
We had to send a doctor's report in support of our claim to the insurance company.
She made a claim for compensation.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Making appeals & requests

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Insurance

Morality and rules of behavior

Idioms

sb's/sth's claim to fame

make no claim to be sth

(Definition of claim from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

claim | Intermediate English

claim

verb [ T ]

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/kleɪm/

claim verb [T] (SAY)

to state that something is true or is a fact:

[ + (that) clause ] Ervin claims (that) he is bankrupt.

claim verb [T] (REQUEST)

to demand something of value because you believe it belongs to you or you have a right to it:

If no one claims the money, I can keep it.

If a storm, crime, or other violence claims someone’s life, the person was killed suddenly as a result of that event:

The earthquake claimed hundreds of lives.

Idiom

claim to fame

claim

noun [ C ]

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/kleɪm/

claim noun [C] (REQUEST)

a written request to an organization to pay you a sum of money which you believe it owes you:

After the storm, dozens of claims were filed to collect crop insurance.

A claim is also a statement saying that you have a right to something:

They asserted their claim to citizenship.

(Definition of claim from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

claim | Business English

claim

noun [ C ]

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/kleɪm/ us

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INSURANCE

a request to an insurance company for payment relating to an accident, illness, damage to property, etc.:

pay/refuse/settle a claim An insurance adjuster will work with the injured party to settle the claim.

file/make/submit a claim Do not submit a claim if the doctor or hospital is also filing a claim for the same service.

LAW

a request to a court, government department, or company for something such as money or property that you believe you have a legal right to:

a claim for sth The Court of Appeal upheld his claim for damages for wrongful dismissal.

bring/file a claim against sb/sth He is now bringing an unfair dismissal claim against the company.

a disability/unemployment/pension claim

LAW

a legal right to own something such as a property, business, or title:

have a claim on/to sth If you are joint owners, you have a claim on at least half the house.

a legitimate/rightful/valid claim

a statement of something you believe is true, although you have no proof:

The court rejected his claims that he was denied a promotion due to discrimination.

See also

baggage claim
counter-claim
damage claim
exaggerated claim
expenses claim
pay claim
priority claim
small claim
statement of claim

claim

verb [ T ]

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/kleɪm/ us

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to state that something is true, although you may not be able to prove it:

Union representatives claim that workers were forced to work overtime without pay.

INSURANCE

to officially request that an insurance company pay for costs relating to an accident, damage to property, etc.

to request payment for money you are owed by a government department or company:

claim benefits/tax relief/income support The self employed may claim income tax relief as an allowance in their income tax assessment.

LAW

to state that you have a legal right to own something such as a property, business, or title:

If there are no relatives to claim the estate, the deceased's property will be reverted to the state.

claim damages

LAW

to officially request payment from someone who is responsible for an injury, loss, etc.:

A breach of warranty will give the purchaser the right to claim damages from the vendor.

(Definition of claim from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of claim

claim

The lawsuit claims local police have done little to stop the problem.

From CBS News

He never filed an insurance claim because the stolen items weren't his.

From ESPN

How does he back up this and other claims?

From Ars Technica

The patent office eventually rejected all the original claims of both patents.

From Gizmodo

The rest, they claim, are clearly his property and will remain that way.

From TIME

Area residents were relatively emotionally healthy, with high numbers claiming they felt treated with respect, and relatively few reporting they felt depressed.

From Huffington Post

Don't be fooled by slick claims, testimonials or "guaranteed programs" designed to make you rich.

From CBS News

The rules surrounding claiming requirements are so complicated that the official source of information doesn't always get them right.

From TIME

Tech companies have also been inconsistent in responding to claims of harassment.

From Chicago Tribune

He was troubled by my claim that dorm life at residential colleges can not be like home.

From The Atlantic

However, the company claims between 33 and 50 percent of users come back to the streaming service eventually.

From Ars Technica

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.