Dictionary

procure en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /pɹəˈkjɔː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /pɹəˈkjʊɹ/ (General-American)
• /pɹəˈkjɝ/ (General-American)
• /pɹəˈkjʊə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (transitive) To acquire or obtain.
   • 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. 2025 February 5, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: Southern”, in RAIL, number 1028, page 22:
   • 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. 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:
   • if we procure not to ourselves more woe 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:
2. (transitive) To obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else.
3. (qualifier:criminal law, transitive) To induce or persuade someone to do something.
4. (obsolete) To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.
   • Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall. 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]:
   • By all means possible they procure to have gold and silver among them in reproach. 1551, Thomas More, translated by Ralph Robinson, Utopia:
5. (obsolete) To solicit; to entreat.
   • The famous Briton prince and faery knight, […] / Of the fair Alma greatly were procured / To make there lenger soiourne and abode. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1:
6. (obsolete) To cause to come; to bring; to attract.
   • What unaccustomed cause procures her hither? 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]:

Forms

Deriveds

unprocured · procurator · procurable · reprocure · procure to pay · misprocure · procuracy

Relateds

procuress · procurement · procurer · proxy

Synonyms

effectuate · pimp · bring round · entice · convince · talk around · put someone up to something · convict · talk over · gain over · attain · find · gain · pimp · procure · achieve · earn · obtain · procure · supplicate · draw · get · convince · gain · acquire · prevail upon · draw · purchase · acquire · obtain · prevail upon · implement · devise · pander · beseech · get · gather · collect · attain · suade · win · score · plead · push · wash with · persuade · win over · buy

Translations (55)

fi yllyttää (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · bg получавам (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de erwerben (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · hu szert tesz (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · txb täk- (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · fr acquérir (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · mi kaitaonga (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · pt conseguir (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · it acquistare (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de besorgen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · fr obtenir (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · pt obter (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · sv skaffa (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de anstiften (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · sv införskaffa (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · sv anskaffa (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · fr proxénétisme (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · pl stręczyć (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · fi parittaa (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · de kuppeln (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · mi haha (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de verschaffen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · grc κτάομαι (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de beschaffen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de vermitteln (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · grc πορίζομαι (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · yue 獲得 /获得 (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · yi דערקאַזשען (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de zuführen (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · hu kerít (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · nl verkrijgen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · bg своднича (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · nb tilveiebringe (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de beibringen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · it approvvigionare (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · it ottenere (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de aufbringen (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · ru добыва́ть (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · hu megszerez (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · sa लभते (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · enm procuren (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · nb skaffe (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · hu szerez (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de verleiten (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · ru подгова́ривать (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · es procurar (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · it procurare (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · fi hankkia (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · hu beszerez (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · nl verwerven (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · enm procuren (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · ru достава́ть (to acquire or obtain an item or service) · de überreden (to induce or persuade someone to do something) · ru сводничать (to obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else) · bg набавям си (to acquire or obtain an item or service)