Use of procure /ensure

Question

Can procure be used in the sense of ensure, e.g. "the parties shall procure that all necessary steps be taken"?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Can procure be used in the sense of ensure, e.g. "the parties shallprocure that all necessary steps be taken"?[/nq]
No. Your dictionary will confirm the word
procure means buy or obtain, but has no
sense equivalent to insure or ensure.
Your sort of documentation should presumably
be as precise and unambiguous as possible,
so should stick to standard terminology.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Can procure be used in the sense of ensure, e.g. "the parties shall procure that all necessary steps be taken"?[/nq]
I'm not certain, but I believe that I have heard "procure" used like that. Here are some dictionary definitions I found:

From WRUD
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=procure
QUOTE
To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.
By all means possible they procure to have gold and silver among them in reproach. Robynson (More's Utopia) .
Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall. Shak.
END QUOTE
###
From MW3NID
QUOTE
(1) : to cause to happen or be done : bring about : effect : achieve ; especially : to bring about by particular care or effort and sometimes by devious means

(2) : to bring about by scheming and plotting : contrive
END QUOTE

Mike Bandy

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Can procure be used in the sense of ensure, e.g. "the parties shall procure that all necessary steps be taken"?[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm not certain, but I believe that I have heard "procure" used like that. Here are some dictionary definitions I ... contrive END QUOTE[/nq]I disagree. Not one of these usages is congruent with "ensure" in the sense of "make sure." Each retains the quite different sense of taking some action toward some result. When "procure" is followed by an object, the object is that which is obtained or brought about. When "ensure" is followed by a non-clause object, the object is safeguarded or underwritten, not brought about. To create a sense of action toward a result with "ensure" you need a dependent clause with "that": "He ensured that we would have food for dinner." The bringing about, if any, is in the clause, not in the verb "ensure." Idiom bars the use of a dependent clause with "that" following "procure." You can say "that which," but that is just another way of saying "what," and "that" is a demonstrative pronoun; "which" is the relative.

So you can "procure what requires" or "procure that which requires, but again "procure" is being used in its sense of "acquire."

I cannot think of any idiomatic sentence in which "procure" and "ensure" can be used interchangeably to mean the same thing. The OP's original submission is a glaring example of a sentence in which that cannot be done.

Bob Lieblich
Both ensuring and procuring disagreement

Usenet · Answer

(snip)
[nq:1] When "procure" is followed by an object, the object is that which is obtained or brought about. When "ensure" ... what requires" or "procure that which requires, but again "procure" is being used in its sense of "acquire."[/nq]
Exactly. Just for completeness: "He procured the food for our dinner," and even "He procured the provision of food for our dinner," would be idiomatic usages. This construction doesn't seem to be a viable option for the sentence originally under consideration, though, since "to procure the taking of all necessary steps" comes across as absurdly verbose.

Odysseus

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Can procure be used in the sense of ensure, e.g. "the parties shall procure that all necessary steps be taken"?[/nq]
That sentence sounds rather old-fashioned to me: "procure" is most commonly used nowadays to mean "purchase" or "obtain", and not so often in the older senses of "manage", "contrive" or "bring about" (that's so in English English, at least, I have a feeling the other uses may still be common in Scotland).
"Procure" is stronger than "ensure", and implies (in your sentence) that the parties actively take responsibility for these necessary steps, and that they undertake do (or pay for) them themselves. "Ensure" in this context could just mean that they will observe the steps being taken by others and object if they are not taken. Not quite the same thing.
Cheers,
Daniel.

Use of procure /ensure

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