EN

Synonyms for purchase

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

buy acquire bargain procure

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Buy — to pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire

buy, procure, bargain, acquire, obtain, get, secure, gain, aby

Noun

1. Hold — any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle…

hold, contact, grip

2. Foothold — the amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge

support, foothold

Other

buying, leverage, lever, emption dated

Antonyms

sell, steal, sale

All antonyms of purchase →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.

  2. n. 1

    Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.

    It is hard to get purchase on a nail without a pry bar or hammer.

  3. n. 2

    The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.

Related words

Word family
purchaser purchasable
Phrases
compulsory purchase hire purchase point of purchase impulse purchase purchase prize money purchase nominee purchase purchase order
Is a kind of
acquisition transaction

Forms

Plural
purchases → holds, contacts, grips, supports…
Past participle
purchased
e.g. purchased → procured, bargained, acquired, obtained…

Choose the right word

Purchase, Buy or Bought?

One may either buy or purchase fame, favor, honor, pleasure, etc., but when our feelings are stirred we speak of victory or freedom as dearly bought.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • buy Bill has a part-time job so that he can buy a car.
  • acquire I managed to acquire the book after a long search.
  • bargain He is a right person who can drive a hard bargain.
  • procure I lost my passport. I have to procure a new one.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
purchasefalling
buyrising
acquiresteady
bargainfalling
procurefalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
get1, buy1, aby
4 letters
hold1, gain1, grip1
5 letters
lever2
6 letters
buying2, secure2, obtain2
7 letters
support2, contact2, acquire3, bargain2, procure2, emption2
8 letters
leverage3, foothold2

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (lever2 = 2 syllables).