afford
[uh-fawrd, uh-fohrd]
- to be able to do, manage, or bear without serious consequence or adverse effect: The country can't afford another drought.
- to be able to meet the expense of; have or be able to spare the price of: Can we afford a trip to Europe this year? The city can easily afford to repair the street.
- to be able to give or spare: He can't afford the loss of a day.
- to furnish; supply: The transaction afforded him a good profit.
- to be capable of yielding or providing: The records afford no explanation.
- to give or confer upon: to afford great pleasure to someone.
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Origin of afford
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for afford
Contemporary Examples
As a matter of dollars and cents, America in the short term may be able to afford disability and food stamps.
It represented everything about the kind of comfort and the little luxuries in life that a good glass of Scotch can afford us.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The MacallanDecember 10, 2014
Selling off the extras, I saw my neighbor marvel at the scent and murmur that he wished he could afford one.
He belongs to a gym, he can afford to pay for that: he can shower, he can keep his belongings in a series of lockers there.
Women who could afford to make bail started being released every two hours early Wednesday afternoon.
Historical Examples
Even this, however, failed to afford them as much variety as they wished.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
There is in this city a rag-picker so wealthy that he can afford to drink wine every day.
If he had engaged himself to a handsome schoolmistress, it was his fancy, and he could afford it.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
From these I shall endeavor to derive all the advantages which they may afford.
Both will afford me encouragement and support in the vicissitudes which yet await me.
afford
- (preceded by can, could, etc) to be able to do or spare something, esp without incurring financial difficulties or without risk of undesirable consequenceswe can afford to buy a small house; I can afford to give you one of my chess sets; we can't afford to miss this play
- to give, yield, or supplythe meeting afforded much useful information
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Word Origin
Old English geforthian to further, promote, from forth forth; the Old English prefix ge- was later reduced to a-, and the modern spelling (C16) is influenced by words beginning aff-
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for afford
v.
Old English geforðian "to put forth, contribute; further, advance; carry out, accomplish," from ge- completive prefix (see a- (1)) + forðian "to further," from forð "forward, onward" (see forth).
Change of -th- to -d- took place late 16c. (and also transformed burthen and murther into their modern forms). Prefix shift to af- took place 16c. under mistaken belief that it was a Latin word in ad-. Notion of "accomplish" (late Old English) gradually became "manage to buy or maintain; have enough money (to do something)" (1833). Older sense is preserved in afford (one) an opportunity. Related: Afforded; affording.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper