Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Provide
Pro-vide′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Provided
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Providing
.] 1.
To look out for in advance; to procure beforehand; to get, collect, or make ready for future use; to prepare.
“Provide us all things necessary.” Shak.
2.
To supply; to afford; to contribute.
Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit
As the kind, hospitable woods
As the kind, hospitable woods
provide
. Milton.
3.
To furnish; to supply; – formerly followed by of, now by with.
“And yet provided him of but one.” Jer. Taylor.
“Rome . . . was well provided with corn.” Arbuthnot.
4.
To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate;
as, the contract
. provides
that the work be well done5.
To foresee.
[A Latinism]
[Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Pro-vide′
,Verb.
I.
1.
To procure supplies or means in advance; to take measures beforehand in view of an expected or a possible future need, especially a danger or an evil; – followed by against or for;
as, to
provide
against the inclemency of the weather; to provide
for the education of a child.Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to
provide
for human wants. Burke.
2.
To stipulate previously; to condition;
as, the agreement
. provides
for an early completion of the workWebster 1828 Edition
Provide
PROVI'DE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To procure beforehand; to get, collect or make ready for future use; to prepare. Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering. Gen.22.
Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. Matt.10.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Rom.12.
2.
To furnish; to supply; followed by with. Rome, by the care of the magistrates, was well provided with corn.
Provided of is now obsolete.
3.
To stipulate previously. The agreement provides that the party shall incur no loss.4.
To make a previous conditional stipulation. [See Provided.]5.
To foresee; a Latinism. [Not in use.]6.
Provide, in a transitive sense, is followed by against or for. We provide warm clothing against the inclemencies of the weather; we provide necessaries against a time of need; or we provide warm clothing for winter, &c.PROVI'DE
,Verb.
I.
Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants.
Definition 2024
provide
provide
English
Verb
provide (third-person singular simple present provides, present participle providing, simple past and past participle provided)
- To make a living; earn money for necessities.
- It is difficult to provide for my family working on minimum wage.
- To act to prepare for something.
- To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate.
- The contract provides that the work be well done.
- I'll lend you the money, provided that you pay it back by Monday.
- To give what is needed or desired, especially basic needs.
- Don't bother bringing equipment, as we will provide it.
- We aim to provide the local community with more green spaces.
- To furnish (with), cause to be present.
- Arbuthnot
- Rome […] was well provided with corn.
- Arbuthnot
- To make possible or attainable.
- He provides us with an alternative option.
- Milton
- Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit / As the kind, hospitable woods provide.
- (obsolete, Latinism) To foresee.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)
- To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice before it is vacant. See provisor.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Prescott to this entry?)
Usage notes
As seen in the examples, when not used with that for previous conditions, provide is used with the prepositions for (beneficiary; also without preposition, usual for pronouns) and with (object).
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to give what is needed or desired
|
to establish as a previous condition
|
to give what is needed or desired
to furnish (with)
|
Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: lie · supposed · original · #817: provide · determined · month · news
Latin
Verb
prōvidē
- second-person singular present active imperative of prōvideō
References
- provide in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “provide”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.