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
Related Words
manageallowprovidegrantoffersupportbearsustainincurstandsparerendersupplyyieldbestowimpartfurnishExamples from the Web for afforded
Contemporary Examples
Federal judges are afforded a great deal of leeway by the legal system due to the difficulty of removing them from office.
But as a white kid I was afforded every opportunity to reform and reinvent myself, so I did.
There, they are represented by a union and are afforded full police protection when something goes wrong.
All this beautiful acceptance we are afforded can quickly evaporate.
But the intensity of the mob around Allen is not afforded to every celebrity.
Historical Examples
Here too experience has afforded us the most satisfactory proof in its favor.
But I was not content with the first view that had been afforded me at the Exchange.
And the beard shut out the indications which the mouth and chin might have afforded.
The Night RidersRidgwell Cullum
Ganymede was of a tenacious mettle, and of this he now afforded proof.
Bardelys the MagnificentRafael Sabatini
Samoval observed this rather with contempt than with satisfaction in the advantage it afforded him.
The SnareRafael Sabatini
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 afforded
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