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procurement

proh-KYOOR-ment /prəˈkjʊrmənt/

nounC1GREGMAT

professionalbusiness

The process of obtaining or purchasing goods, raw materials, equipment, or services required for a project.

Covers the entire commercial process: sourcing, negotiating, purchasing, and securing delivery.

The story behind the word. Rooted in Latin 'procurare' meaning 'to manage, take care of, or attend to'. In medieval times, a 'procurator' was a manager or agent. Modern construction uses it for systematically taking care of material supplies.

Word relationships

acquisition: Acquisition implies getting or buying property or assets, while procurement covers formal business supply sourcing.
purchasing: Purchasing is simply paying for items; procurement involves vetting, negotiation, and delivery management.

disposal: The act of getting rid of or selling off equipment and materials.
liquidation: Selling off assets to convert them into cash.

Commonly confused with

curation: Curation is selecting and organizing artistic works; procurement is acquiring raw materials and supplies.

Word family

procure (verb): To obtain or acquire material or services.
procurer (noun): One who procures goods.

Collocations

procurement process
material procurement
procurement department
expedite procurement

Idioms & expressions

procurement pipeline

Example sentences

"Delays in the procurement of structural glass pushed the building's completion date back by two months." Supply Chain

Memory hook

PRO-CURE-ment CURES shortages by securing raw goods ahead of time. Curing material needs through strategic buying.

When not to use

Avoid using for casual, everyday buying like purchasing a lunch.

Fun facts

Green procurement is a growing trend where builders are legally required to buy sustainably sourced timber and low-carbon cement.