procurar

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin prōcūrō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [pɾu.kuˈɾa]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [pɾo.kuˈɾa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [pɾo.kuˈɾaɾ]

Verb

procurar (first-person singular present procuro, first-person singular preterite procurí, past participle procurat)

1. to seek, to try, to endeavor
2. to procure, to provide

Derived terms

• procura

Related terms

• procuració
• procurador

Further reading

• “procurar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “procurar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “procurar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “procurar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese procurar, from Late Latin prōcūrāre, present active infinitive of prōcūrō (“I manage, administer”), from Latin prō + cūrō (“I take care; I cure; I manage”). Cognate of English procure.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpɾu.ku.ˈɾa(ɹ)/, /ˌpɾo.ku.ˈɾa(ɹ)/
• IPA^(key): /ˌpɾo.ku.ˈɾa(ɻ)/
• IPA^(key): /pɾɔ.ku.ˈɾaɾ/
• Hyphenation: pro‧cu‧rar

Verb

1. to search; to seek; to look for
   • 2005, Matthew D. Bauer, O Poder de Cura da Acupressura e da Acupuntura, Editora Pensamento, →ISBN, page 142:

     Se você sentir que a acupuntura incomoda, discuta o assunto com o seu acupunturista. Se não ficar satisfeito com o que ele lhe disser, procure outro acupunturista que use agulhas mais finas.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   Synonym: buscar

2. to reach out (attempt to initiate communication)
3. (auxiliary with a verb in the impersonal infinitive) to try; to attempt

   Sempre procuro evitar comida apimentada. ― I always try to avoid spicy food.

   Synonym: tentar

4. to work as a procurator (attorney or agent)

Usage notes

This is a false friend of English procure. The Portuguese word means primarily ‘to look for’, while the English word means primarily ‘to obtain’ and can be translated into Portuguese with obter or conseguir.

Related terms

• procura
• procuração
• procuradeira
• procurado
• procurador
• procuradoria
• procurante
• procuratoria
• procuratório
• procuratura

 

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Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin prōcūrāre, present active infinitive of prōcūrō (“I manage, administer”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin prō + cūrō. Cognate of English procure.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾokuˈɾaɾ/ [pɾo.kuˈɾaɾ]

Verb

1. to obtain, acquire
2. (catenative) to try, attempt
   1. to endeavor
   2. to make sure, assure
3. to work as a procurator (attorney or agent)

Further reading

• “procurar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014