provenance
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of provenance
1860–65; < French, derivative of provenant, present participle of provenir < Latin prōvenīre to come forth; see pro- 1, convene, -ant
Explanation
Where something comes from is its provenance. If a style of music originated in the capital of Rhode Island, you could say that its provenance was Providence. Some items of foreign provenance are taxed more heavily than domestic products. If you claim that an artwork put up for sale was stolen from your family's art collection, an investigation may be ordered to resolve issues of provenance. In this case, provenance refers to who has the legal right to the specific work of art, or to whom it belongs.
Vocabulary lists containing provenance
Hidden Figures
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Unbroken
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Musty Dusty Words for National Old Stuff Day
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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.
Like millions of others, I expected it to be superb because of its provenance.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Plus, he added, “a lot of the diamonds are small chips, and I bet that the 6- to 8-carat one in the middle is certified and identifiable” because of its provenance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
However, experts have questioned the artwork's provenance, with some scholars attributing it to Giacomo Ceruti - another Italian artist from the same period.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Part of the fossil – precisely the portion that preserved essential information about its provenance – was accidentally lost for more than two decades.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one’s heart have a common provenance in pain.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
