afford

[uh-fawrd, uh-fohrd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR afford ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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.

Origin of afford

before 1050; Middle English aforthen, iforthen, Old English geforthian to further, accomplish, equivalent to ge- y- + forth forth + -ian infinitive suffix

Related formsun·af·ford·ed, adjective

Can be confusedaccord afford

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for afforded

manage, allow, provide, grant, offer, support, bear, sustain, incur, stand, spare, render, supply, yield, bestow, impart, furnish

Examples from the Web for afforded

Contemporary Examples of afforded

Federal judges are afforded a great deal of leeway by the legal system due to the difficulty of removing them from office.
The Ray Rice of Judges May Keep His Job
Tim Mak
September 11, 2014
But as a white kid I was afforded every opportunity to reform and reinvent myself, so I did.
The Progressive White Guy's Guide to Privilege
Andy Hinds
September 6, 2014
There, they are represented by a union and are afforded full police protection when something goes wrong.
Why It's Time to Legalize Prostitution
Cathy Reisenwitz
August 15, 2014
All this beautiful acceptance we are afforded can quickly evaporate.
Gaza, You're No Good For My Marriage
Josh Robin
August 9, 2014
But the intensity of the mob around Allen is not afforded to every celebrity.
He’s Still Older, Even in the Moonlight: Woody Allen’s May-December Romances Inspire Scrutiny
Teo Bugbee
July 25, 2014

Historical Examples of afforded

Here too experience has afforded us the most satisfactory proof in its favor.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
But I was not content with the first view that had been afforded me at the Exchange.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
And the beard shut out the indications which the mouth and chin might have afforded.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
Ganymede was of a tenacious mettle, and of this he now afforded proof.
Bardelys the Magnificent
Rafael Sabatini
Samoval observed this rather with contempt than with satisfaction in the advantage it afforded him.
The Snare
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for afforded

afford

verb

(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

Derived Formsaffordable, adjectiveaffordability, noun

Word Origin for afford

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for afforded

afford

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.