provide
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to take measures with due foresight (usually followed by for oragainst ).
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to make arrangements for supplying means of support, money, etc. (usually followed byfor ).
He provided for his children in his will.
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to supply means of support (often followed byfor ).
to provide for oneself.
verb
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to put at the disposal of; furnish or supply
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to afford; yield
this meeting provides an opportunity to talk
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(intr; often foll by for or against) to take careful precautions (over)
he provided against financial ruin by wise investment
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to supply means of support (to), esp financially
he provides for his family
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(in statutes, documents, etc) to determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), esp by including a proviso condition
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to confer and induct into ecclesiastical offices
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rare to have or get in store
in summer many animals provide their winter food
Usage
Where does provide come from? For many, the word provide might conjure up tangible objects you can hand over, like food, supplies, goods, or money. Provide may also bring to mind less concrete things that can nevertheless be given or furnished, such as answers or solutions or responses. So, it might surprise you to learn that the root of provide isn’t about the sense of touch—but vision.Provide entered English around 1375–1425. It comes from the Latin prōvidēre, meaning “to foresee, look after, provide for.” The underlying idea of this verb is seeing something at a distance or beforehand, and when you can see something coming, you can make arrangements and prepare supplies for it. We call such arrangements and supplies provisions, a word that is also derived from prōvidēre.The Latin prōvidēre is composed of two parts. The first part is prō-, a widely used prefix based on the preposition prō, meaning “before, in front of.” The second part is vidēre, meaning “to see, look at.”Prō- appears in many words English borrowed from Latin, such as these verbs:
The verb vidēre is the ultimate source of a lot of English words, many of which entered English through French. Some more familiar derivatives include view, video, vision, visual, visit, and vista. Other derivatives are less obvious and even surprising:Other Word Forms
- overprovide verb (used with object)
- preprovide verb (used with object)
- providable adjective
- provider noun
- unprovidable adjective
Etymology
Origin of provide
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English providen, Latin prōvidēre “to foresee, look after, provide for,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + vidēre “to see”; video ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shopify provides tools such as payment processing and inventory management for merchants to sell products online.
He noted that one idea about why animals might seek out ethanol is that its smell helps them locate foods that are richer in sugar and thus provide more energy.
From Science Daily
The ambulance had stopped for treatment to be provided to the patient before he left the vehicle, Avon and Somerset Police said.
From BBC
They will walk out of both emergency and routine care, with senior doctors brought in to provide cover.
From BBC
Prasad didn’t provide details about the deaths, the children’s conditions, or the vaccines involved, reports said.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
