provider
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that provides.
-
a person who supports a family or another person.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of provider
Explanation
A provider is a person who gives someone something they need. If your parents both have jobs so they can feed you and buy you what you need, you can call them providers. Your mom's a provider if she works so she can care for you, put food on the table, and send you to school. There are other types of providers as well, although they all give you something you need, often a service. Your school is a provider of education, and the pharmacy around the corner is a provider of medication, makeup, and magazines. It's increasingly common to call your main doctor a "primary care provider."
Vocabulary lists containing provider
Father's Day Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"A Raisin in the Sun," "My Father is a Simple Man," and "My Mother Pieced Quilts"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Nicola Grant, chief people officer at UK insurance provider Hiscox, says she's noticed a broader shift in how people think about their careers.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Before dropping out, Platner had begun to argue that he would champion reproductive rights in the Senate, touting an endorsement from Planned Parenthood and calling the health provider a model organization.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
In addition he moved clear as the competition's all-time leading assist provider with nine, overtaking Diego Maradona, while his latest strike was another addition to his growing collection of knockout-stage goals.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The plane maker has already built about two dozen of the MAX 7 jets for Southwest, according to flight-data provider Cirium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Fwooper has long been a provider of fancy quills and also lays brilliantly patterned eggs.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
The government said further measures would be aimed at helping children use AI chatbots safely - including by making providers introduce regular breaks for under-18s.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
"This new practice by Google could affect the ability of search engine providers and, more broadly, other digital service providers to compete," it said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Chip stocks and other AI hardware providers got an additional boost ahead of the highly anticipated U.S. listing for SK Hynix, a Korean chip maker, on Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Recordkeepers — companies like Fidelity, Principal, Vanguard and Empower — and other service providers often receive a cut of these fees.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
About the problem of trying to convince their kids never to be ashamed of who they were, while all the time hiding their own shame for not being better providers.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
