Skip to the word

Added 7 October 2026

buy

/baɪ/ noun

In Latin: emō, sūmō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about buy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An advantageous purchase.
she got a bargain at the auction

verb

Obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction.
The family purchased a new car
Make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence.
This judge can be bought
Be worth or be capable of buying.
This sum will buy you a ride on the train

Origin

From Middle English byen, from Old English bycġan (“to buy, pay for, acquire, redeem, ransom, procure, get done, sell”), from Proto-West Germanic *buggjan, from Proto-Germanic *bugjaną (“to buy”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰūgʰ- (“to bend”), or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- (“to take away, deliver”). Cognate with Scots buy (“to buy, purchase”), obsolete Dutch beugen (“to buy”), Old Saxon buggian, buggean (“to buy”), Old Norse byggja (“to build, settle”), Gothic 𐌱𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bugjan, “to buy”). The spelling with “u” is from the Southwest, while the pronunciation with /aɪ/ is from the East Midlands.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word