provision
Americannoun
-
provisions
plural
-
a clause in a legal instrument, a law, etc., providing for a particular matter; stipulation; proviso.
- Synonyms:
- condition
-
the providing or supplying of something, especially of food or other necessities.
-
arrangement or preparation beforehand, as for the doing of something, the meeting of needs, the supplying of means, etc.
-
something provided; a measure or other means for meeting a need.
-
a supply or stock of something provided.
-
provisions, supplies of food.
-
Ecclesiastical.
-
an appointment to an ecclesiastical office.
-
appointment by the pope to a see or benefice not yet vacant.
-
verb (used with object)
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provisions,
present (3rd person singular)
-
provisioned,
past participle, past
-
provisioning
present participle
noun
-
the act of supplying or providing food, etc
-
something that is supplied or provided
-
preparations made beforehand (esp in the phrase make provision for )
-
(plural) food and other necessities, esp for an expedition
-
(plural) food obtained for a household
-
a demand, condition, or stipulation formally incorporated in a document; proviso
-
the conferring of and induction into ecclesiastical offices
verb
Synonym Usage
See food.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overprovisionnoun
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preprovisionnoun
-
provisionernoun
-
self-provisionnoun
-
reprovisionverb
-
provisionlessadjective
-
unprovisionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
provisionsimple
-
provisionssimple
-
have provisionedperfect
-
has provisionedperfect
-
am provisioningprogressive
-
are provisioningprogressive
-
is provisioningprogressive
-
have been provisioningperfect progressive
-
has been provisioningperfect progressive
Past
-
provisionedsimple
-
had provisionedperfect
-
was provisioningprogressive
-
were provisioningprogressive
-
had been provisioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of provision
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin prōvīsiōn- (stem of prōvīsiō ) “a foreseeing,” equivalent to prōvīs(us) (past participle of prōvidēre “to foresee, look after, provide”) + -iōn- suffix; see origin at provide, -ion
Explanation
A provision is a store or supply of something, like food or clothing. This noun can also describe the planning you do for "when something happens." We often use this word when we talk about outdoor activities like hiking or camping, or when we talk about outfitting an army in the field, but it basically means "supply." And since provision comes from the Latin word that means to "attend to," you can pretty much guess what the verb form of this word describes: the act of supplying someone else with provisions. In a legal or contractual sense, a provision is a stipulated condition or proviso.
Vocabulary lists containing provision
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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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:
For JPMorgan Chase, the estimated Q3 provision for LLR is higher than it was the previous two quarters, but lower than it was during the third quarter of last year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
Mr. El-Sayed’s fig leaf seems to be proposing to delete that provision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Add to this a provision in Mr. Winfield’s contract that required Steinbrenner pay $300,000 a year into Mr. Winfield’s children’s charity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
In June 2022, a commitment to expand the regional thrombectomy service to 24/7 provision was published in the Reshaping Stroke Care Action Plan.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Then I couldn’t help asking, “And why didn’t your folks make some provision for her?”
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
For him, originalism denotes that “constitutional provisions should be understood to mean what the public would have taken them to mean when they were adopted.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The others are expected to show year-over-year increases in provisions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
Authorities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all make provisions for adoptees to access their medical history, but the way this operates in practice can vary hugely in the different nations.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The assembly called for a fundamental revision of the Japan Status of Forces Agreement, including provisions on the handing over of suspects.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
If she were to go exploring, she’d need proper provisions.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
U.S. factories also kept allied Soviet forces provisioned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
He provisioned his ship and gave to the Coast Miwoks who greeted him pieces of blue-and- white Chinese porcelain that he had evidently “liberated” from the Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2025
UT itself hosts an annual Free Speech Week in which outside influence is encouraged on campus—and is specifically outlined as protected, provisioned for, and celebrated.
From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2024
“This campaign was run by geographically dispersed operators across China who appeared to be centrally provisioned with internet access and content,” Meta said in the report published Tuesday.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2023
Maybe they’d learned from the last time and better provisioned the stadium?
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
However, provisioning for losses that may never materialize is a questionable precaution, not least because economic and financial conditions are notoriously difficult to predict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
"Time series analysis highlights significant seasonal mortality patterns, underscoring the need for targeted interventions during high-risk periods like peak summer months; such as strategic water provisioning, supplemental feeding, and enhanced disease monitoring," it said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Documents published by the US Navy this month show advanced planning for an even larger Australian stockpile, with $30 million allocated to build warehouses and offices in southeastern Victoria state for "critical forward provisioning".
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
The slightly higher provisioning in its French retail business is a bit negative, though the solid top line in this division reads positively for its French peers, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
The Adjutant commanded those of us who labored provisioning to pull back to Cambridge.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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