afford

American  

[uh-fawrd] / əˈfɔrd /

verb (used with object)

affords, present (3rd person singular) afforded, past participle, past affording present participle

1. to be able to do, manage, or bear without serious consequence or adverse effect.

   The country can't afford another drought.

2. 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.

3. to be able to give or spare.

   He can't afford the loss of a day.

4. to furnish; supply.

   The transaction afforded him a good profit.

5. to be capable of yielding or providing.

   The records afford no explanation.

6. to give or confer upon.

   to afford great pleasure to someone.

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afford British  

/ əˈfɔːd /

verb

1. 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

2. to give, yield, or supply

   the meeting afforded much useful information

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• affordability
  noun
• affordable
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has afforded
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have afforded
  perfect
• has been affording
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been affording
  perfect progressive
• am affording
  progressive 1st person singular
• are affording
  progressive
• affords
  singular 3rd person
• affording
  participle
• is affording
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had afforded
  perfect
• had been affording
  perfect progressive
• were affording
  progressive plural
• was affording
  progressive singular
• afforded
  participle
• afforded
  simple

Future

• will afford
  simple
• will have afforded
  perfect
• will be affording
  progressive
• will have been affording
  perfect progressive

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.”

Example Sentences

His response suggested he didn’t have much sympathy for fans who can’t afford sky-high ticket prices.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Steel on its own couldn’t afford the costly upgrades and maintenance needed at Mon Valley, which consists of three plants in separate towns south of Pittsburgh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

At lunch, he could afford only corn on a stick.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

China could afford to retreat because it had built a large cushion before the war—though exactly how large is up for interpretation.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

"I even gave Trina Vanderhoof one of my own basketballs because I couldn't afford to buy a new one."

From "Case of the Sneaky Snowman: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #5" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• grant
• offer
• provide