provenance

[ prov-uh-nuhns, -nahns ]

noun

1. place or source of origin:

   The provenance of the ancient manuscript has never been determined.

provenance

/ ˈprɒvɪnəns; prəʊˈviːnɪəns /

noun

1. a place of origin, esp that of a work of art or archaeological specimen

Word History and Origins

Origin of provenance¹

1860–65; < French, derivative of provenant, present participle of provenir < Latin prōvenīre to come forth; pro- ¹, convene, -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of provenance¹

C19: from French, from provenir, from Latin prōvenīre to originate, from venīre to come

Example Sentences

We agonized over what to do with boxes of hand-embroidered napkins and tablecloths, many with notes from our mom pinned to them as to their provenance.

From Washington Post

To be able to get an aircraft with this kind of record, this kind of provenance .

From Washington Post

The Himalayan salts, or halite as the mineral is called, were—if the provenance is authentic—ancient.

From Nautilus

Campaigns often purchase lists of profile names from third parties or create the lists themselves, but the provenance of how a campaign matched a voter to a Facebook profile is excruciatingly hard to track.

From MIT Technology Review

Starting in the 1990s, however, scientists like me began using cheaper and easier techniques to determine Martian provenance, such as oxygen isotopic compositions, which are like atomic barcodes that are unique for each planet.

From Singularity Hub 

Today, a lack of provenance often means one of two things: an artifact is forged or an artifact was illegally acquired.

From The Daily Beast

“All good dealers and collectors look into provenance,” says Loll.

From The Daily Beast

The program has been called “absurd,” and shouldered judgments for its male-devised provenance.

From The Daily Beast

The new Sappho papyrus probably came from Egypt and perhaps from Oxyrynchus, but its provenance may never be known.

From The Daily Beast

The company prides itself on the provenance of its blades, which, while cheap, are hardly commodities.

From The Daily Beast

There where true grace simply used ease and provenance, affected grace becomes effeminacy.

From Project Gutenberg

As well make a point of recalling the provenance of any little thing that had happened in this his present life.

From Project Gutenberg

The legendary matter, too, has but few traces of Jewish provenance, and is clearly not due to Jewish redaction.

From Project Gutenberg

Provenance, prov′e-nans, n. the source from which anything comes or is derived.

From Project Gutenberg

Anon cometh a white rag thinly from the inner tent—mark her provenance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• origin