a lot of trouble with the usage of "procure"

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ansonman
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a lot of trouble with the usage of "procure"

Post by ansonman »

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to procure means to get possession of something or to get something by particular care and effort.

According to Collins Dictionary, if you procure something, especially something that is difficult to get, you obtain it.

According to Macmillan Dictionary, to obtain something especially with effort or difficulty.

According to the freedictionary.com, to procure means to get by special effort; obtain or acquire

I have made up the examples below.

(1) As a new actor, I find it difficult to procure my first movie contract.

(2) I have been losing money in my business. I'm hoping to procure a deal soon before I have to close it permanently.

(3) Houses are very expensive these days. I have been looking at houses and comparing their prices. With a limited budget, I have not been able to procure a good price.

(4) Scientists have procured large amounts of data related to global warming.

The way I'm using the verb doesn't sound correct to me. I don't know why I think so. I'm very confused.

All my friends speak English as a second language. None of them can help me with my problem.

I'm having a lot of trouble using the verb correctly. In general, dictionaries don't seem to tell you what contexts you can use it in. Even the examples given in the four dictionaries above don't tell you how you can use it correctly.

I'm not sure what I'm missing here. Is there something "hidden" in the definitions above that explain the correct usage of the verb? Please help me. I really appreciate your valuable time. Thank you very much.
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Joe
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Re: a lot of trouble with the usage of "procure"

Post by Joe »

For one thing, procure is a relatively formal word.

The Apple dictionary has these examples which I think are pretty good:

food procured for the rebels
He persuaded a friend to procure him a ticket.


In both these cases we see some specific difficulty that must be overcome.
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :-| " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood

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