prepare
Americanverb (used with object)
-
prepares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prepared,
past participle, past
-
preparing
present participle
-
to put in proper condition or readiness.
to prepare a patient for surgery.
- Antonyms:
- disorganize
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to get (a meal) ready for eating, as by proper assembling, cooking, etc.
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to manufacture, compound, or compose.
to prepare a cough syrup.
- Synonyms:
- make
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Music. to lead up to (a discord, an embellishment, etc.) by some preliminary tone or tones.
verb (used without object)
-
prepares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prepared,
past participle, past
-
preparing
present participle
verb
-
to make ready or suitable in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
to prepare a meal
to prepare to go
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to put together using parts or ingredients; compose or construct
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(tr) to equip or outfit, as for an expedition
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(tr) music to soften the impact of (a dissonant note) by the use of preparation
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(foll by an infinitive) to be willing and able (to do something)
I'm not prepared to reveal these figures
Synonym Usage
Prepare, contrive, devise imply planning for and making ready for something expected or thought possible. To prepare is to make ready beforehand for some approaching event, need, and the like: to prepare a room, a speech. Contrive and devise emphasize the exercise of ingenuity and inventiveness. The first word suggests a shrewdness that borders on trickery, but this is absent from devise : to contrive a means of escape; to devise a time-saving method.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preparesimple
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preparessimple
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have preparedperfect
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has preparedperfect
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am preparingprogressive
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are preparingprogressive
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is preparingprogressive
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have been preparingperfect progressive
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has been preparingperfect progressive
Past
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preparedsimple
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had preparedperfect
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was preparingprogressive
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were preparingprogressive
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had been preparingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prepare
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin praeparāre “to make ready beforehand,” equivalent to prae- pre- + parāre “to set, get ready” (akin to parent )
Explanation
To prepare means to get ready for something. When you prepare for a test, you'll get a better score than if you don’t. Look at all the variations that you find with prepare. If you prepare yourself mentally for an experience, you sent you mind on it happening. If you're going to tell your family that you're moving out, you might want to prepare them by having them sit down. Are you prepared for their reaction? Are you prepared to defend your decision? You can prepare wood to be painted by cleaning and sanding it. And if you prepare dinner, you cook it.
Vocabulary lists containing prepare
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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:
Doctors would have more time to prepare the treatment instead of needing to deliver it during the immediate emergency period following a stroke.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
They also told me that much of their work these days revolves around figuring out how finance leaders can prepare teams for human and agent collaboration—and measuring whether these teams deliver greater value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
So, Andoni has to prepare his coaching philosophy to overcome teams who will definitely play deeper and be much more defensive-minded against Liverpool than they were against Bournemouth.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
He said he would seek to leverage tax dollars to help communities better prepare for wildfires, creating buffers and hardening structures because of wildfires that will inevitably occur in certain communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Led by the USGS, this coalition helps not only to monitor volcanoes around the world but also works to train local scientists and emergency responders to prepare for an eruption.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The call to action comes as global leaders convene in New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly and as President Trump prepares to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
While SpaceX prepares to put its Starship rocket in orbit for the first time, foreign countries like China are looking to develop their own technology to rival Elon Musk’s company.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
The researchers now want to determine more precisely how calcium triggers the contraction and how the organism prepares itself to repeat the process.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
As he prepares to retire, Bishop McKeown has been reflecting on being part of being part of important moments in history and as well as being stopped on the street for confessions.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The leafy branches behind Ma start to wave and then snap as the creature prepares to spring from the shadows.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
Part of the problem, everyone seems to agree, is that the party infrastructure itself wasn’t prepared for a competitive statewide race.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
Yet many clubs prepared in advance by scheduling Football League Trophy fixtures during these three weeks.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The company had warned it was prepared to move out of California if it couldn’t reach a deal with the states, with a potential relocation starting as soon as Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
“California is strongest when we look out for one another. That is what this action is about,” Newsom said in a prepared statement Monday in announcing the emergency declaration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
She had no notes to speak from, nor any speech prepared.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Last month, European football's governing body Uefa began preparing criminal legal proceedings against Infantino at courts in the US over the FFE plan, demanding the release of all documents.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Now, the couple is finally preparing to part ways with the equestrian retreat, listing it for $29.9 million with Sandro Dazzan of The Agency.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
It would not come close to covering the cost of higher education in India, or even a course at the coaching centre where one of her daughters is preparing for a government recruitment examination.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Manus, founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, has developed an AI agent that can carry out sophisticated tasks such as writing in-depth research reports and preparing presentation slides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Everything you do in life is preparing you for the next challenge.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
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.
