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
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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.
Students now submit an average of nearly seven applications each on the Common App, up 46% since 2015-16, according to a 2024-25 report from the provider.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Conversely, if a patient arrives on time but the provider begins the appointment more than 10 minutes late, the fee for the appointment should be waived and not billed to the patient or insurer.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
The controller’s waste, fraud and abuse team began investigating a homeless service provider after receiving a phone call alleging fraud.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The sales revenue figure was slightly below analyst expectations compiled by financial data provider Factset, but the 12-percent increase in sales volumes surpassed forecasts.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Within a month, Jesse and Eric found a local Internet service provider and bought themselves a celebratory Nintendo 64.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
