Procure
/prəˈkjʊr/noun
To obtain or acquire something, especially through effort or arrangement.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, procurator, named an official entrusted to manage another person’s business; the same lineage ultimately produced the English word “proctor.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwer-
“To do, make, or carry out; the reconstructed root behind Latin verbs of care and management.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cūrāre
“To care for, manage, attend to, or take charge of.”
Classical Latin
Latin
prōcūrāre
“To manage on behalf of another; later, to obtain or arrange.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
prōcūrāre
“To administer affairs or secure something through an intermediary.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
procurer
“To obtain, acquire, or provide.”
14th Century
Middle English
procuren
“To obtain or bring about, often through effort or influence.”
Modern English
English
procure
“To obtain or acquire, especially by deliberate effort or arrangement.”