Purchase Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

The Britannica Dictionary mobile search

• Home
• Ask the Editor
• Word of the Day
• Quizzes
• Core Vocabulary
• Browse the Dictionary

×

• Britannica Homepage
• Ask the Editor
• Word of the Day
• Quizzes
• Core Vocabulary
• Browse the Dictionary

The Britannica Dictionary purchase 6 ENTRIES FOUND:

• purchase (verb)
• purchase (noun)
• purchase order (noun)
• purchase price (noun)
• hire purchase (noun)
• Gadsden Purchase (proper noun)

1 purchase /ˈpɚtʃəs/ verb purchases; purchased; purchasing 1 purchase /ˈpɚtʃəs/ verb purchases; purchased; purchasing Britannica Dictionary definition of PURCHASE [+ object] formal : to buy (property, goods, etc.) : to get (something) by paying money for it

• purchase a house
• He purchased a new suit for a hundred dollars.
• Souvenirs can be purchased at the gift shop. = You can purchase souvenirs at the gift shop.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

— purchaser

noun, plural purchasers [count]

— purchasing

adjective, always used before a noun

• purchasing agents
• the company's purchasing department [=the people in a company who buy the company's supplies]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 purchase /ˈpɚtʃəs/ noun plural purchases 2 purchase /ˈpɚtʃəs/ noun plural purchases Britannica Dictionary definition of PURCHASE 1 : an act of buying something [count]

• credit card purchases
• cash purchases

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples [noncount]

• The CD player is guaranteed for one year from the date of purchase.
• Getting a rebate requires proof of purchase. [=something, such as a receipt, that proves that you bought something]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 [count] : something that is bought

• The car was an expensive purchase.
• He displayed his recent purchases with pride.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 3 : a firm hold or grip that makes movement possible [singular]

• The ice made it impossible for the car's wheels to gain/get a purchase on the road.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples [noncount]

• The surface was so slick that the wheels couldn't gain purchase.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — sometimes used figuratively

• I couldn't get a purchase on the problem. [=I couldn't get a good understanding of the problem]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples ASK THE EDITOR

What are the plural forms of check-in, passerby, and spoonful? See the answer »

QUIZZES Vocabulary Quiz Test your word power Take the Quiz » Name That Thing Take our visual quiz Test Your Knowledge » WORD OF THE DAY

intimate : very personal or private Learn More »

1. About Us & Legal Info
2. Contact Us
3. Privacy Notice
4. Terms of Use
5. Pronunciation Symbols
6. Help

© 2025 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.