afford
Americanverb (used with object)
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affords,
present (3rd person singular)
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afforded,
past participle, past
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affording
present participle
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to be able to do, manage, or bear without serious consequence or adverse effect.
The country can't afford another drought.
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to be able to meet the expense of; have or be able to spare the price of.
Can we afford a trip to Europe this year? The city can easily afford to repair the street.
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to be able to give or spare.
He can't afford the loss of a day.
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The transaction afforded him a good profit.
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to be capable of yielding or providing.
The records afford no explanation.
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to give or confer upon.
to afford great pleasure to someone.
verb
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to be able to do or spare something, esp without incurring financial difficulties or without risk of undesirable consequences
we can afford to buy a small house
I can afford to give you one of my chess sets
we can't afford to miss this play
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to give, yield, or supply
the meeting afforded much useful information
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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affordsimple
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affordssimple
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have affordedperfect
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has affordedperfect
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am affordingprogressive
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are affordingprogressive
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is affordingprogressive
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have been affordingperfect progressive
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has been affordingperfect progressive
Past
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affordedsimple
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had affordedperfect
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was affordingprogressive
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were affordingprogressive
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had been affordingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of afford
First recorded before 1050; Middle English aforthen, iforthen, Old English geforthian “to further, accomplish,” equivalent to ge- y- + forth forth + -ian infinitive suffix
Explanation
To afford means you have enough money or time for something. If you only have ten dollars on you, you can't afford to buy a twenty-dollar hat. Afford is a verb that has to do with means. You either have a surplus and therefore can afford something, or else you have a deficit and can’t. It can be in the monetary sense: "$100 for cashmere socks? I can’t afford that!” It can also refer to time: “Since my train wasn't scheduled to leave for another hour, I could afford to wait for my sister ten more minutes.” Or even access: “The castle walls afforded a wonderful view of the moat.”
Vocabulary lists containing afford
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
See Examples For:
"They can not afford to save for a deposit for a mortgage because they are paying such high rents," she said.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
She wants them to move to the Boston Seaport or Cambridge, but both areas are costlier than Cam can afford.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Belgium "cannot afford a prolonged political crisis," the palace warned.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
If you can’t afford the shiny new Beamer right now, BMW will lend you the money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Agnes says it likes tomatoes, but it’s not like we can afford to waste tomatoes on a chicken my parents don’t know exists and wouldn’t necessarily want to catch anyway.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Starting early affords time for multiple rounds of interviews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Baku street circuit has a long straight that affords good overtaking possibilities and has a reputation for producing incident-packed races.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Higher oil prices cause inflation that damages the value of bonds, especially longer-dated ones, because a fixed income affords less when the cost of living rises.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
But the nature of Dans’ role affords him more leeway than other appointees.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
The legend of Peugeot affords us a good example.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
“Criminals who kill people are afforded a lawyer for free,” Van Epps said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Mr Justice Scoffield said: "The secretary of state's decision was lawful and within the margin of discretion properly afforded him, although it is highly regrettable that it was required in the circumstances which arose."
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Under the law, the president, whose position is otherwise largely ceremonial, is afforded broad discretion, with no guidelines on how to make the choice.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
But beyond the exclusive entrée, Coppola — only on her third feature, but already known for her affinity for youth culture — would bring Marie Antoinette a jouissance the history books had never afforded her.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Burnham loved Chicago for the opportunity it afforded, but he grew wary of the city itself.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
“People have incredibly busy lives. They are worried about affording their healthcare, putting food on the table, paying for gas to fill their tank,” Underland said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Marshals and other federal agencies by affording them a dangerous amount of latitude.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
The beats are the ideal accompaniment for Ms. Badu in her experimental mode, affording her space to work through her range of vocal styles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Foot Locker is dealing with challenges facing the broader athletic-shoe industry — namely, consumers who are too worried about affording basics to think about buying less essential items like sneakers, D.A.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
It would be the first time that such priceless financial data had fallen into an economist’s hands, affording an analysis of a heretofore uncharted criminal enterprise.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
