prepare

American

[pri-pair] / prɪˈpɛər /

verb (used with object)

prepared, preparing

to put in proper condition or readiness.

to prepare a patient for surgery.

Synonyms:

order, arrange, provide

Antonyms:

disorganize
to get (a meal) ready for eating, as by proper assembling, cooking, etc.
to manufacture, compound, or compose.

to prepare a cough syrup.

Synonyms:

make
Music. to lead up to (a discord, an embellishment, etc.) by some preliminary tone or tones.

verb (used without object)

prepared, preparing

to put things or oneself in readiness; get ready.

to prepare for war.

prepare British

/ prɪˈpɛə /

verb

to make ready or suitable in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

to prepare a meal
to prepare to go
to put together using parts or ingredients; compose or construct
(tr) to equip or outfit, as for an expedition
(tr) music to soften the impact of (a dissonant note) by the use of preparation
(foll by an infinitive) to be willing and able (to do something)

I'm not prepared to reveal these figures

"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

Related Words

Prepare, contrive, devise imply planning for and making ready for something expected or thought possible. To prepare is to make ready beforehand for some approaching event, need, and the like: to prepare a room, a speech. Contrive and devise emphasize the exercise of ingenuity and inventiveness. The first word suggests a shrewdness that borders on trickery, but this is absent from devise : to contrive a means of escape; to devise a time-saving method.

Other Word Forms

preparer noun
reprepare verb (used with object)
unpreparing adjective

Etymology

Origin of prepare

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin praeparāre “to make ready beforehand,” equivalent to prae- pre- + parāre “to set, get ready” (akin to parent )

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.

And he seems prepared to push around everyone else to get it.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said those who have been Neet for more than 18 months will also be given a six-month paid work placement, to help them prepare for a full-time job.

From BBC

In a parallel universe, Francesca Jones might now be sitting at home preparing applications for university courses.

From BBC

Each of my higher education French classes had a different teacher, and despite their best efforts, they were inadequately prepared.

From Salon

They have embraced their journey of preparing to play varsity next season.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023