purchase
pur·chase/ˈpɜɹ.tʃəs/noun, verb
purchase is spelled P-U-R-C-H-A-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (pur·chase). It appears 51 times per million words in written English, the 1,993rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, purchase means “The acquisition of title to, or property in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of purchase is purchases.
How many letters and syllables are in purchase?
| Letters | 8: P-U-R-C-H-A-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pur·chase |
| In writing | 51 times per million words; the 1,993rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is purchase?
Purchase appears 51 times per million words in written English, the 1,993rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce purchase?
- UK /ˈpɜːtʃɪs/
- British /ˈpəːtʃəs/
- US /ˈpɜɹ.tʃəs/
Purchase has 2 syllables, split pur·chase in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-purchase.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of purchase
- purchases plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- purchasing participle, present
- purchased participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does purchase mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The acquisition of title to, or property in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent.
They offer a free hamburger with the purchase of a drink.
- 2
That which is obtained for a price in money or its equivalent.
He was pleased with his latest purchase.
- 3
That which is obtained, got or acquired, in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession; acquisition.
- 4
obsoleteThe act or process of seeking and obtaining something (e.g. property, etc.)
- 5
A price paid for a house or estate, etc. equal to the amount of the rent or income during the stated number of years.
- 6
Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.
It is hard to get purchase on a nail without a pry bar or hammer.
- 7
The apparatus, tackle or device by which such mechanical advantage is gained and (in nautical terminology) the ratio of such a device, like a pulley, or block and tackle.
- 8
The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.
verb
- 1
To buy, obtain by payment of a price in money or its equivalent.
to purchase land, to purchase a house
- 2
To pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.
- 3
To obtain by any outlay, as of labor, danger, or sacrifice, etc.
to purchase favor with flattery
- 4
To expiate by a fine or forfeit.
- 5
To apply to (anything) a device for obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a purchase to; to raise or move by mechanical means.
to purchase a cannon
- 6
To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert oneself.
- 7
To constitute the buying power for a purchase, have a trading value.
Many aristocratic refugees' portable treasures purchased their safe passage and comfortable exile during the revolution.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Purchase in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | achat, acquisition , acheter , acquérir |
| German | Einkauf, Kauf, Anschaffung , kaufen, anschaffen, erwerben |
| Portuguese | compra, compras, aquisição , comprar |
| Spanish | compra, adquisición, merca , comprar, mercar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does purchase come from?
From Middle English purchasen, from Anglo-Norman purchacer (“seek to obtain”) from pur- (from Latin pro-) + chac(i)er (“to chase, pursue”). Compare Old French porchacier (“to follow, to chase”), which has given French pourchasser (“to chase without relent”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).