provider
Americannoun
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a person or thing that provides.
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a person who supports a family or another person.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of provider
Explanation
A provider is a person who gives someone something they need. If your parents both have jobs so they can feed you and buy you what you need, you can call them providers. Your mom's a provider if she works so she can care for you, put food on the table, and send you to school. There are other types of providers as well, although they all give you something you need, often a service. Your school is a provider of education, and the pharmacy around the corner is a provider of medication, makeup, and magazines. It's increasingly common to call your main doctor a "primary care provider."
Vocabulary lists containing provider
Father's Day Words
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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"A Raisin in the Sun," "My Father is a Simple Man," and "My Mother Pieced Quilts"
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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.
Glutality Provider Group, the venture’s main clinical arm, is the focus of the Miami grand jury investigation, according to the filings.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Provider spending patterns can also be compared across states.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
The consumer outlet, which has just released its annual customer satisfaction survey, said Tesco had twice missed out on being awarded "Recommended Provider" status because its Clubcard discounts were not available to everyone.
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Trust in Your VPN Provider: When you use a VPN, you’re essentially shifting trust from your ISP to your VPN provider.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026
And adverts are pictures or television programs to make you buy things like cars or Snickers or use an Internet Service Provider.
From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
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.
