Is buy formal or informal?

Buy is neutral and very common. Purchase is more formal and more common in writing.

What is the difference between buy and purchase?

Buy is the everyday word. Purchase sounds more formal, especially in business or official writing.

Can buy mean believe?

Yes. In informal English, buy can mean believe or accept an idea, often in negatives.

← Dictionary

buy

/baɪ/

IELTSAcademic

verb

1.
To get something by paying money for it. It is the opposite of sell.
- I want to buy a new phone.
- She bought bread on the way home.
- We can buy tickets online.
2.
To believe or accept something, especially a story, excuse, or idea.
- I don't buy that excuse.
- He bought the story at first.
- Nobody will buy that lie.

Adinary Nuance

Buy is the everyday word for getting something with money. Compared with purchase, it is more common and more natural in speech. Compared with acquire, it is simpler and more direct. In the second sense, buy means "believe," as in "I don't buy it."

In other languages

Vietnamese: mua
Spanish: comprar
Chinese: 买
Japanese: 買う
Korean: 사다

Etymology

Buy comes from Old English bycgan, meaning "to acquire or purchase." It has been used in English since early medieval times.

Common phrases

buy and sellbuy onlinebuy a ticketbuy into something

Synonyms

purchase get acquire accept

Related words

sell purchase shop price

Frequently asked questions

Is buy formal or informal?: Buy is neutral and very common. Purchase is more formal and more common in writing.
What is the difference between buy and purchase?: Buy is the everyday word. Purchase sounds more formal, especially in business or official writing.
Can buy mean believe?: Yes. In informal English, buy can mean believe or accept an idea, often in negatives.