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)
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!
Unit 1: Telling Details
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!
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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:
This provision has come up in other cases.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
“The departure of the United States from the Kurdistan Region under these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern,” said a statement from the region’s Peshmerga Ministry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
A narrow provision allows the president to exempt a pollution source when required technology is unavailable and national security requires it.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
The organisation has called on water regulators to enforce measures on water providers regarding the provision of water for firefighting, and to implement "clear national standards" on fire hydrant repair and maintenance.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
He leaned toward them and said, “In object-oriented programming, discrete software objects interfaced more freely, in a system of corporate service provision that mirrored the emergent structures of late capitalism.”
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
Like the boy in Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun, originalists sometimes lose sight of what constitutional text would have meant to ordinary people when those provisions were adopted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
When I think about the original public meaning of constitutional provisions, I sometimes envision a scene at a colonial-era tavern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“The decree’s enforcement provisions have teeth,” the states wrote in their filing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
TikTok's settlement with Alabama mirrors safety provisions agreed by Meta, including a two-hour daily time limit for teens, restricted access from midnight to 6:00 am, and suspending notifications during school hours.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
No one ever knew that those provisions were being sent by Petra Cotes with the idea that the continuing charity was a way of humiliating the person who had humiliated her.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Macquarie analysts expect flat bad and doubtful debts in the current fiscal year and say NAB is well provisioned relative to peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
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
“This campaign was run by geographically dispersed operators across China who appeared to be centrally provisioned with internet access and content,” Meta said in the report published Tuesday.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2023
A helicopter had dropped off water and food, and they seemed to be well provisioned.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
"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
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
The analysts think major banks could have to further raise credit impairments and provisioning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
This led to higher provisioning coverage ratio of around 58.6%, strengthening the non-banking financial company’s balance-sheet buffers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 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
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.
