procurement
gb/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/ us/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
C1
English
~ 6100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
action
1
organized buying for organizations
The official process that a company or government uses to buy the things and services it needs.
Usage pattern:
the procurement of [something] by [an organization]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *procurement* as a general, everyday word for any kind of buying. In normal daily speech, people usually say *buying* or *purchasing* and reserve *procurement* for business or government contexts. Learners also sometimes say *do a procurement*; it is more natural to say *handle procurement* or *the procurement of office supplies*.
Synonyms
purchasing (A more general and slightly less formal term; often used interchangeably in business, but “procurement” can sound more official and process-focused.)
|
sourcing (Focuses more on finding and choosing suppliers, while “procurement” includes the whole buying process, including contracts and management.)
Antonyms
disposal (Refers to getting rid of or selling off assets, which is the opposite direction of bringing goods into an organization.)
Collocations
public procurement
|government procurement
|defense procurement
|procurement process
|procurement department
|procurement policy
Themes
business
|government
|economics
|law
|work
Examples
- The company is overhauling its procurement to reduce costs and improve supplier relationships.
- New rules on public procurement aim to make government spending more transparent.
- Our procurement team negotiated a better price for raw materials.
- The report criticized the military’s procurement of outdated equipment.
- Digital tools are transforming procurement in both the public and private sectors.
Learner examples
- The city changed its procurement rules to save money.
- Our hospital uses a central procurement system to buy medicine.
- She works in procurement and buys parts for the factory.
- The new law will affect government procurement of services.
- Good procurement can help a company spend less money.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
department that manages purchasing
The part of a company or government office whose job is to buy things and services from other companies.
Usage pattern:
the procurement department of [an organization]
Common mistake:
Learners may say *a procurement* when they mean the team, as in *I talked to a procurement*. It is more natural to say *I talked to procurement* or *I talked to the procurement department/team*.
Synonyms
purchasing department (Very close in meaning; often used in smaller or less formal organizations, while *procurement* suggests a more structured, strategic role.)
Antonyms
sales department (The sales department is focused on selling goods or services out of the organization, whereas procurement is focused on buying them in.)
Collocations
procurement department
|procurement team
|head of procurement
|procurement manager
|procurement function
|procurement officer
Themes
business
|government
|management
|work
Examples
- Please contact procurement if you need to order any new equipment.
- The procurement department is reviewing all supplier contracts this quarter.
- She joined the company as head of procurement last year.
- IT works closely with procurement to select software vendors.
- Our procurement function has been centralized to control spending better.
Learner examples
- He got a job in the procurement department.
- Ask procurement before you buy new laptops.
- Procurement will choose the best supplier for the project.
- The head of procurement spoke at the meeting.
- In our company, procurement and finance work together.
Noun
formal
C2
action
3
formal act of obtaining something
The act of getting something, especially in a serious or official way.
Usage pattern:
the procurement of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this formal sense where a simple word like *getting* or *finding* would be more natural in everyday speech. *Procurement* in this sense is best kept for formal writing or legal/business contexts.
Synonyms
obtaining (A more general and common word; *procurement* sounds more formal and is often used in official or legal writing.)
Antonyms
loss (If procurement is the act of getting something, loss is the state of no longer having it.)
Collocations
procurement of evidence
|procurement of funds
|procurement of supplies
|procurement of documents
Themes
law
|business
|academia
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The investigation focused on the illegal procurement of confidential data.
- The charity’s rapid procurement of emergency supplies saved many lives.
- Strict rules govern the procurement of funds for political campaigns.
- They were charged over the fraudulent procurement of medical licenses.
- The report details the procurement of raw materials from conflict zones.
Learner examples
- The case involves the illegal procurement of money.
- The bank helped with the procurement of a loan for the company.
- The lawyer spoke about the procurement of important documents.
- They discussed the procurement of extra food for the camp.
- The report talks about the procurement of weapons by the group.
unknown
technical
C2
action
4
criminal obtaining of person for sex
In law, the crime of getting or arranging a person, often a child, for someone to have illegal sex with.
Usage pattern:
the procurement of [a person] for [illegal sexual activity]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a specific legal/criminal use and may confuse it with the general business sense. This meaning is almost always found in legal or news reports about crime, not in normal business writing.
Synonyms
pandering (A legal term in some jurisdictions for promoting or arranging prostitution; *procurement* is often used more broadly in criminal statutes.)
Antonyms
protection (Protection refers to keeping someone safe from exploitation, which is the opposite of procuring them for abuse.)
Collocations
procurement of a child
|procurement of prostitution
|procurement for sexual services
|offence of procurement
Themes
law
|crime
|relationships
Examples
- He was charged with the procurement of a minor for sexual services.
- The statute creates a separate offence for the procurement of children into prostitution.
- The court found her guilty of aiding in the procurement of victims for the trafficking ring.
- New laws strengthen penalties for the procurement of individuals for sexual exploitation.
Learner examples
- The man was arrested for the procurement of a child for sex.
- The law makes the procurement of people for prostitution a serious crime.
- The report describes the procurement of women for human trafficking.
- Police are investigating the illegal procurement of children for sexual abuse.
Grammar
Dictionary form
procurement
IPA
GB/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
US/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
Syllables & stress
pro - cure - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cure)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: procurement
- Plural: procurement, procurements
Word family
Forms
procurements
noun
Core family
procure
verb B2
Related words
purchase
verb A2
acquisition
noun B2
Advanced or less common
procurable
adjective
Expressions
defense procurement
1/dɪfˈɛns pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
military buying of equipment
The way the army and other military forces buy weapons, vehicles, and other equipment.
Examples
- The scandal involved overbilling in major defense procurement contracts.
- Defense procurement has shifted toward more high‑tech systems in recent years.
government procurement
1/ɡˈʌvɚnmənt pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
purchasing done by government
All the buying of goods and services that a government does.
Examples
- The trade agreement includes rules on government procurement.
- They specialize in advising companies on how to win government procurement contracts.
head of procurement
1/hˈɛd əv pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
person leading procurement function
The manager who is responsible for the procurement department or function in an organization.
Examples
- The head of procurement presented the new sourcing strategy to the board.
- She was promoted to head of procurement after five years in the company.
procurement department
1/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt dɪpˈɑɹtmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
organizational unit that buys goods
The office or team in a company or government that is responsible for buying goods and services.
Examples
- Please send all purchase requests to the procurement department.
- The procurement department negotiated a discount with the new supplier.
procurement officer
1/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt ˈɔfɪsɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
employee who handles purchasing
A person in an organization whose job is to buy goods and services and manage suppliers.
Examples
- The procurement officer is responsible for issuing the tender.
- She worked as a procurement officer at the health ministry for ten years.
procurement policy
1/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt pˈɑlɪsi/
fixed phrase
technical
rules for how to buy things
The official rules that say how a company or government must buy goods and services.
Examples
- Their procurement policy requires at least three competitive bids.
- The university updated its procurement policy to include sustainability criteria.
procurement process
1/pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt pɹˈɑsˌɛs/
fixed phrase
technical
steps used to buy things
All the steps that a company or government follows when it buys goods or services, from planning to signing a contract.
Examples
- We are simplifying our procurement process to speed up orders.
- A clear procurement process helps prevent fraud and mistakes.
public procurement
1/pˈʌblɪk pɹoʊkjˈʊɹmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
government buying of goods/services
The way that governments and public bodies buy goods and services from companies.
Examples
- The new directive aims to make public procurement more transparent and competitive.
- Corruption in public procurement can cost taxpayers billions each year.