I. pur ‧ chase 1 W3 AC /ˈpɜːtʃəs, ˈpɜːtʃɪs $ ˈpɜːr-/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ purchase , ↑ purchaser ; verb : ↑ purchase ; adjective : ↑ purchasable ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: purchacier 'to try to get' , from chacier 'to run after and try to catch' ]
formal to buy something:
You can purchase insurance online.
the growing demand to purchase goods on credit
Where did you purchase the car?
purchase from
Tickets may be purchased in advance from the box office.
—purchasable adjective
—purchaser noun [countable] :
France was the no. 1 purchaser of Iraqi oil.
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THESAURUS
▪ buy to pay money for something so that you can own it:
I’ve just bought a new car.
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The painting was bought by a museum in New York.
▪ purchase formal to buy something, especially something large or expensive, in a business deal or by a legal contract:
They purchased 5,000 acres of land.
▪ acquire formal to become the owner of something large or expensive such as property, a company, or a valuable object:
In 2007 the business was acquired by a Dutch company.
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Television companies were then allowed to acquire more stations.
▪ get especially spoken to buy something, especially ordinary things such as food, clothes, or things for your house:
Did you remember to get some bread?
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I never know what to get Dad for his birthday.
▪ snap something up informal to buy something immediately, especially because it is very cheap, or because you want it very much and you are worried that someone else might buy it first:
Real estate in the area is being snapped up by developers.
▪ pick something up informal to buy something, especially something ordinary such as food or a newspaper, or something that you have found by chance and are pleased about owning:
Could you pick up some milk on your way home?
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It’s just a little thing I picked up when I was in Kathmandu.
▪ stock up to buy a lot of something you use regularly, because you may not be able to buy it later, or because you are planning to use more of it than usual:
The supermarkets are full of people stocking up for the New Year’s holiday.
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We always stock up on cheap wine when we go to France.
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Before the blizzard, we stocked up on food.
▪ splash out British English informal , splurge American English informal to buy something you would not usually buy, because it is too expensive, in order to celebrate an event or make yourself feel good:
Why don’t you splash out on a new dress for the party?
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We splurged on an expensive hotel for the last night of the vacation.
II. purchase 2 W3 AC BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ purchase , ↑ purchaser ; verb : ↑ purchase ; adjective : ↑ purchasable ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] formal something you buy, or the act of buying it:
She paid for her purchases and left.
day/date/time of purchase
This product should be consumed on the day of purchase.
I enclose my receipt as proof of purchase.
purchase of
a loan towards the purchase of a new car
She made two purchases from my stall.
⇨ ↑ hire purchase , ↑ purchase price
2 . [singular] formal a firm hold on something
gain/get a purchase on something
The ice made it impossible to get a purchase on the road.