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)
-
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
-
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:
This provision is uncommon as many existing down payment assistance programs don’t strictly limit the type of home someone can buy — only the sale price.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The bill includes a provision for exploring potential compensation for license holders, Menin said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
She said financial pressure, parental stress, limited opportunities for play and difficulty accessing early years provision and professional advice could make preparing for school harder.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
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
The statute does contain an opt-out provision, but as of 2010 only thirteen states and the District of Columbia had opted out entirely.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
They really have improved the catch-up provisions, and you could put thousands of dollars more away per year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The economists in their analysis take into account the risk that some or all provisions of Prop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
But exceptions remain, including provisions relating to a first wife's infertility or illness, which women's rights groups have criticised on grounds of privacy and medical confidentiality.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Such a flat employer compensation tax, or ECT, could delay Social Security’s insolvency by 20 years, or by even longer if it was part of a package of provisions to fund the program.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Adaon went to the stock of provisions, while Ellidyr strode off to his guard post.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Their seasoned troops, reinforced by Hessian mercenaries, faced an amateurish and poorly provisioned army of colonials.
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
He has argued that Ukraine needs to be properly provisioned to fend off Russia’s much bigger force.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 21, 2023
"Who provisioned the island and made all the necessary arrangements?"
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
"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
The MS analysts tell clients in a note that it could take some time for the lender to restore credibility following its announcement of increased credit provisioning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
They tell clients in a note that Westpac’s provisioning will be just 8 basis points short of its pandemic-era peak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 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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