provider
AmericanOther Word Forms
- nonprovider noun
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"A Raisin in the Sun," "My Father is a Simple Man," and "My Mother Pieced Quilts"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Kalshi’s trading volumes surpassed Polymarket’s last year, according to the Block, a data provider.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Trump’s words during the Persian Gulf conflict have impacted the price of oil, as this chart on X from Rory Johnston, founder of oil-market research provider Commodity Context, shows.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
He thinks that RELX, which owns legal data provider LexisNexis, has also been unfairly punished due to AI worries.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
SAP announced in March that it had agreed to acquire the data management software provider, with the transaction expected to close in the second or third quarter.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
She picked up the bunting and owlet, regretting that she had found a provider only to lose him again.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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.
