procure

From Middle English procuren, from Old French procurer, from Late Latin prōcūrāre (“to manage, administer”), from prō (“on behalf of”) + cūrō (“to care for”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈkjʊə/, /pɹəˈkjɔː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈkjʊɹ/, /pɹəˈkjɝ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ)

procure (third-person singular simple present procures, present participle procuring, simple past and past participle procured)

1. (transitive) To acquire or obtain.

   Synonyms: get, gain, acquire, attain, obtain

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     if we procure not to ourselves more woe

   • 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:

     Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill. How these were to be procured, no one was able to imagine.

   • 2025 February 5, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: Southern”, in RAIL, number 1028, page 22:

     Folkestone: Network Rail and the White Cliffs Countryside Project have procured a herd of goats to keep vegetation on the slopes of Folkestone Warren under control, and to encourage rare species.

2. (transitive) To obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else.

   Synonyms: buy, purchase

3. (transitive, criminal law) To induce or persuade someone to do something.
4. (obsolete) To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.
   • 1551, Thomas More, translated by Ralph Robinson, Utopia:

     By all means possible they procure to have gold and silver among them in reproach.

   • c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall.

5. (obsolete) To solicit; to entreat.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1:

     The famous Briton prince and faery knight, […] / Of the fair Alma greatly were procured / To make there lenger soiourne and abode.

6. (obsolete) To cause to come; to bring; to attract.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:

     What unaccustomed cause procures her hither?

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “procure”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• crouper

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.kyʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: procurent, procures

procure

1. inflection of procurer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

• IPA^(key): /proˈku.re/
• Rhymes: -ure
• Hyphenation: pro‧cù‧re

procure f

1. plural of procura

• Hyphenation: pro‧cu‧re

procure

1. inflection of procurar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈkuɾe/ [pɾoˈku.ɾe]
• Rhymes: -uɾe
• Syllabification: pro‧cu‧re

procure

1. inflection of procurar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative