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reclaim meaning and examples

2025-08-22

Meaning

  • Verb (transitive): to get something back that was lost, taken, or wasted.
  • Verb (transitive): to make land usable again by draining or improving it.
  • Verb (transitive): to rescue or reform someone from a negative state or behavior.
  • Noun (less common): the act of getting something back or recovering it.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: verb (transitive).

  • Typical patterns:

    • reclaim sth from sb/sth → “They reclaimed their land from the government.”
    • reclaim sth → “She quickly reclaimed her seat.”

  • Often used in environmental, social, or personal contexts.

Common Phrases

  • reclaim lost territory
  • reclaim land (from the sea/desert)
  • reclaim one’s time
  • reclaim dignity/identity/power
  • reclaim waste/recyclables
  • reclaim someone from a bad path

Collocations

  • Nouns: reclaim land, time, territory, rights, freedom, dignity, control, seat
  • Verbs: attempt/seek/try to reclaim
  • Prepositions: reclaim from (the enemy, the sea, waste)

Examples

  1. The company aims to reclaim land from the sea for new construction.
  2. Activists are working to reclaim their cultural heritage.
  3. He is determined to reclaim his reputation after the scandal.
  4. The desert project successfully reclaimed farmland.
  5. The movement helped women reclaim their rights.
  6. She stood up to reclaim her seat after someone had taken it.
  7. The recycling plant reclaims waste materials for reuse.
  8. The therapy program is designed to reclaim addicts from destructive habits.
  9. Parents are fighting to reclaim control over their children’s education.
  10. After a long illness, he finally began to reclaim his strength.
  • recover, regain, repossess, retrieve, restore, recapture, salvage
  • (figurative) redeem, rescue, reform
  • Opposites: lose, surrender, abandon, forfeit