What is the Latin word for claim?

The usual Latin words for “claim” are poscō, dēposcō, exposcō; also postulō, expostulō, flāgitō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“claim” in Latin

poscōto beg, to demand, to request, to desire; to demand for punishment, to ask the surrender of; to call someone dēposcōto demand; to require; to challenge exposcōto beg, entreat, implore, request, ask earnestly postulōto demand, ask, request, desire; to pretend, claim; to prosecute, accuse, impeach, sue expostulōto demand or call for vehemently or urgently; to find fault, expostulate flāgitōto demand, require; to entreat or solicit; to accuse efflāgitōto request earnestly, demand urgently, insist requīrōto look after, seek or search for; seek to know, ask or inquire after; to ask for, request; to need or miss petōto ask, beg, request, look for, inquire, petition, entreat; to make for (somewhere); to seek, aim at, desire expetōto desire, covet; to demand insistently, solicit; to strive for

The English word claim itself goes back to Latin clāmō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

claim

poscere (in expectation that the claim will be granted): deposcere: exposcere (urgently): postulare: expostulare (when one has a right: expostulare, urgently): flagitare: efflagitare (impetuously): Cic., Milon. 34, p. in., makes a climax thus, misericordiam implorare, requirere, exposcere, flagitare. (The words are found in this connection and order), poscere et flagitare: petere: expetere (more by means of entreaty than claim): exigere (to claim; e.g., wages, debts, etc): persequi pecuniam, etc. (if before a court): per litteras flagitare (by letter): to be entitled to claim, jure quodam suo postulare posse; justam postulandi causam habere; sibi vindicare, sumere or assumere aliquid (to lay claim to it). To claim the throne, regnum affectare, quaerere (Liv.); imperium affectare (Ter.): the name of a learned man, nomen docti sibi vindicare, sumere.

claim s.

postulatio; postulatum (demand): jus (right: general term): petitio (claim preferred in a court; also, the right to make such a claim): vindiciae (judicial or formal claim to a thing or person). A suit to establish such a claim, lis vindiciarum. An unjust claim, injustae vindiciae. To prefer a claim to anything, rem sibi or ad se vindicare (by law or otherwise) [Vid: TO CLAIM]: an intolerable claim, postulatum intolerabile: an impudent claim, postulatio impudens: very moderate claims, postulata lenissima: to make an unjust claim, iniquum postulare: I grant a claim, quod aliquis postulat concedo: to desist from a claim, postulationem alicujus rei adjicere: to give up or surrender a claim, jus suum dimittere or remittere; de jure suo decedere: to give up a claim to anything, remittere rem; decedere de re. The person on whom a claim is made (judicially), unde petitur.

The claims of anything, quod dandum or tribuendum est alicui rei (the latter if the claim is one of right). The claims of friendship, quod dandum est amicitiae: of duty, quod tribuendum est officio.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for claim?: The usual Latin words for “claim” are poscō, dēposcō, exposcō; also postulō, expostulō, flāgitō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.