prepare
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to put in proper condition or readiness.
to prepare a patient for surgery.
- Antonyms:
- disorganize
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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)
verb
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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
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to put together using parts or ingredients; compose or construct
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(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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preparesimple
-
preparessimple
-
have preparedperfect
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has preparedperfect
-
am preparingprogressive
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are preparingprogressive
-
is preparingprogressive
-
have been preparingperfect progressive
-
has been preparingperfect progressive
Past
-
preparedsimple
-
had preparedperfect
-
was preparingprogressive
-
were preparingprogressive
-
had been preparingperfect progressive
Future
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 )
Explanation
To prepare means to get ready for something. When you prepare for a test, you'll get a better score than if you don’t. Look at all the variations that you find with prepare. If you prepare yourself mentally for an experience, you sent you mind on it happening. If you're going to tell your family that you're moving out, you might want to prepare them by having them sit down. Are you prepared for their reaction? Are you prepared to defend your decision? You can prepare wood to be painted by cleaning and sanding it. And if you prepare dinner, you cook it.
Vocabulary lists containing prepare
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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:
Researchers are now examining those observations as they prepare for the spacecraft's arrival at the asteroid Psyche in 2029.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Welcoming her, Powell said: "Working together, we will ensure the party continues to lead the way in campaigning, with the strongest ground operation in British politics as we prepare for the next general election."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It was held to prepare for future missions in the Black Sea.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Lincoln, 20, who studies food science at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., has gotten in the habit of using her chatbot to prepare for dates and tense confrontations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
I prepare to jump into a roast contest when a roar suddenly sounds from the forest in front of us—and I think I see a huge form lumbering toward us.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
As Meta Platforms prepares to report second-quarter earnings, the company is confronting a wall of artificial-intelligence pessimism that will be difficult to overcome.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The important benchmark comes as Comcast prepares to spin off NBCUniversal entertainment and news media businesses into a separate company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
While the group prepares to submit a new application, its operations remain unaffected by the regulator’s decision, it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Anthony Joshua says he is not ready for the loss of his two close friends and team members to "sink in yet" as he prepares for his first fight since their death.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Now and then, she kills a chicken and prepares it for him.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
As Elisa, Nicole Heaston’s bright, secure soprano was also impressive, but she missed the character’s deep malevolence—Elisa is prepared to kill to get what she wants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
“In practice, however, the facility received a large volume of patients, including patients with complex medical conditions, and the medical team was not adequately prepared to manage this population,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Apple will have to streamline its process for reclaiming leased hardware and be prepared to refurbish devices at scale once customers return them, Feinseth said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the wide-ranging interview, the prime minister also spoke about how he would be prepared to call out Donald Trump to defend Britain's national interest.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"A person must be prepared for whatever adventure he or she might meet. As we can see, right now, Allun!"
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Belfast is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city for the all-Ireland music and dance festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which begins on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Much of the overtime money the department spent went instead toward preparing for unrest, monitoring protests and vigils, guarding hotels housing federal agents, and managing the public response to federal violence.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
In late summer 1905, as Henri Matisse was preparing for the Salon d’Automne, he decided to add a portrait to the colorful landscapes he had created that year in Collioure, in southern France.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Stephenson said ministers should work with the EU to secure alternative markets for the refinery's alumina while preparing contingency plans, including examining nationalisation if necessary.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Town Uncle beamed as he flitted around the room preparing tea.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
