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
Derived Forms
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providernoun
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overprovideverb (used with object)
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preprovideverb (used with object)
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providableadjective
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unprovidableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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providesimple
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providessimple
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have providedperfect
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has providedperfect
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am providingprogressive
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are providingprogressive
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is providingprogressive
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have been providingperfect progressive
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has been providingperfect progressive
Past
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providedsimple
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had providedperfect
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was providingprogressive
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were providingprogressive
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had been providingperfect progressive
Future
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”; cf. video ( def. )
Explanation
To provide means to give or supply. When you stay in a bed and breakfast, the innkeeper will generally provide you with a meal in the morning as part of the price of the room. The verb provide generally means to make available or even to allow. The Constitution, for example, provides for protected freedom of speech. But you've probably also heard people talking about getting a job to provide for their family — in that case, to provide means to make money to pay for food and bills, or in other words, bring home the bacon.
Vocabulary lists containing provide
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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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:
With Durban stripped of the rights to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after failing to meet key milestones or provide financial guarantees, Birmingham stepped in.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
For example, one study showed a 37% reduction in mortality for grandparents who provide some child care, compared with those who aren’t as involved or who aren’t grandparents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Under current law, Californians are required to provide identification when registering to vote and must swear under penalty of perjury, a felony, that they are eligible to vote and are U.S. citizens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The company didn't provide a figure for sales of AI glasses, however.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The family was asked to provide drawing paper and crayons.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
What redeems this creakily plotted work is the showcase it provides for a company of savvy older actresses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"It also provides an updated data set to help inform policy decisions and market research," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Evolution, which provides online games and the technology behind online casinos, declined to comment on the news.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The station also provides an important foundation for future journeys to the Moon through the Artemis program and, eventually, human missions to Mars.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
It is a large umbrella, with a heavy curved handle, and once Celia manages to get it open it provides quite good cover against the rain.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Many young people have left rural communities to work in towns and cities, abandoning farmland that historically provided some of the best protection against fires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The final race before the summer break, however, provided real hope.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Africom, which oversees US military operations on the continent, has provided several national anti-drug organisations with intelligence to assist with their raids.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
On Tuesday morning, Beer posted several photos of the two of them together, along with a caption that provided a significant relationship status update.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Once in possession of the diary, the ink proved more stubborn than I expected. Again, you have provided a solution when I had nearly given up.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
"Grateful to everyone for being with us through thick and thin for the past 50 years, thank you, take care," it said on social media, without providing further details.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
"By providing bursaries to those who need them most and fully funding apprenticeship training, we are making sure cost is not the reason someone misses out," McFadden said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Banks are providing a roughly $10 billion project-finance package for the site’s construction, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
By helping her gather these documents, you’ll be providing a bit of relief and preventing bad surprises when she’s grieving.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Father Julien assumes the Americans are dropping leaflets, providing instructions or words of encouragement to the internees.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
