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Glite Dictionary
to lay claim

to lay claim

18 4.4
Say you have a right to something like land or money
  • phrasal verb
  • /leɪ kleɪm/
translation icon : reivindicar
  • Both Christians and Jews have laid claim throughout their histories to a unique revelation.
  • lay claim to the title
  • lay claim to the land

Well, some sophists lay laid claim to being able to teach every kind of knowledge whatsoever.

Examples

  • After years of hard work, she is ready to lay claim to her inheritance from her grandparents.

  • In the fourth and early fifth centuries, Christians laid claim to the land of Palestine.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Interest in the lost city has focused attention on several towns that lay claim to it.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Each of us lays claim to his own freedom.

  • When the empire collapsed and new states began to form, they also laid claim to many of these regions.

  • The best way to lay claim to a camp is to put tents on it.

    Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

  • When our ancestors first lay claim to this island, they found they were not its sole inhabitants.

    Damsel (2024)

  • In such a world, where images do not respect borders, non-Americans can lay claim to the American flag.

    Academic text (2008)

  • We were told of organizations that lay claim to a geographic area, like gangs occupying a new territory.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Bolivia and Paraguay both lay claim to the Chaco Boreal, a huge, little-known wilderness between them.

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

to demand
vsto lay claim
943 2.7

To ask for something in a strong, urgent way

is a firm statement of having a right, not an active forceful request
to claim
vsto lay claim
588 3.4

To ask for and receive something you have a right to, like lost baggage

is a formal, firm declaration of ownership or deserving rather than a simple statement
to assert
vsto lay claim
229 3.9

To clearly and firmly say your needs or opinions

focuses on saying one has a right to ownership or deserving, not general opinion

Antonyms

to relinquish
  • Formal
69 7.2

To give up control, a right, or something you own

to disclaim
  • Formal
5 7.3

Say officially that you do not have a right, responsibility or part in something

How Assertive

to demand
943 2.7
to lay claim
18 4.4
to assert
229 3.9
to claim
588 3.4

Surface Forms

lay claim infinitive
laying claim present participle
lays claim third person singular
laid claim past
laid claim past participle

Morphology

lay + claim

The meaning ‘to assert a right’ is directly derivable from combining ‘lay’ (place/set down) with ‘claim’ (assert entitlement): to ‘place a claim’ naturally means to state one’s right to something. This compositional pattern is common and has clear parallels in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely understand the expression.

Etymology

Lay claim may come from the image of putting a marker or flag on land to show ownership. To lay, meaning to put down, and claim, meaning a mark that says 'this is mine', give a clear picture, so today lay claim means to say you 'have a right' to something.