provide
Americanverb (used with object)
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provides,
present (3rd person singular)
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provided,
past participle, past
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providing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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provides,
present (3rd person singular)
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provided,
past participle, past
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providing
present participle
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to take measures with due foresight (usually followed by for oragainst ).
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to make arrangements for supplying means of support, money, etc. (usually followed byfor ).
He provided for his children in his will.
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to supply means of support (often followed byfor ).
to provide for oneself.
verb
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to put at the disposal of; furnish or supply
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to afford; yield
this meeting provides an opportunity to talk
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(intr; often foll by for or against) to take careful precautions (over)
he provided against financial ruin by wise investment
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to supply means of support (to), esp financially
he provides for his family
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(in statutes, documents, etc) to determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), esp by including a proviso condition
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to confer and induct into ecclesiastical offices
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rare to have or get in store
in summer many animals provide their winter food
Usage
Where does provide come from? For many, the word provide might conjure up tangible objects you can hand over, like food, supplies, goods, or money. Provide may also bring to mind less concrete things that can nevertheless be given or furnished, such as answers or solutions or responses. So, it might surprise you to learn that the root of provide isn’t about the sense of touch—but vision. Provide entered English around 1375–1425. It comes from the Latin prōvidēre, meaning “to foresee, look after, provide for.” The underlying idea of this verb is seeing something at a distance or beforehand, and when you can see something coming, you can make arrangements and prepare supplies for it. We call such arrangements and supplies provisions, a word that is also derived from prōvidēre. The Latin prōvidēre is composed of two parts. The first part is prō-, a widely used prefix based on the preposition prō, meaning “before, in front of.” The second part is vidēre, meaning “to see, look at.”Prō- appears in many words English borrowed from Latin, such as these verbs:
The verb vidēre is the ultimate source of a lot of English words, many of which entered English through French. Some more familiar derivatives include view, video, vision, visual, visit, and vista. Other derivatives are less obvious and even surprising:Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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providernoun
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overprovideverb (used with object)
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preprovideverb (used with object)
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providableadjective
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unprovidableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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providesimple
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providessimple
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have providedperfect
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has providedperfect
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am providingprogressive
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are providingprogressive
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is providingprogressive
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have been providingperfect progressive
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has been providingperfect progressive
Past
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providedsimple
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had providedperfect
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was providingprogressive
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were providingprogressive
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had been providingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of provide
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English providen, Latin prōvidēre “to foresee, look after, provide for,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + vidēre “to see”; cf. video ( def. )
Explanation
To provide means to give or supply. When you stay in a bed and breakfast, the innkeeper will generally provide you with a meal in the morning as part of the price of the room. The verb provide generally means to make available or even to allow. The Constitution, for example, provides for protected freedom of speech. But you've probably also heard people talking about getting a job to provide for their family — in that case, to provide means to make money to pay for food and bills, or in other words, bring home the bacon.
Vocabulary lists containing provide
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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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:
Strong central bank buying will provide future support, but likely won’t keep prices from retreating further, Hamad Hussain of Capital Economics says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
The proposed research would provide children who regularly consume ultra-processed foods with more minimally processed alternatives.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
It has urged US authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and said it was ready to provide legal and consular support to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Brands claim their stickers provide several hours of protection — some say up to 72 hours, if used as directed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Besides, he didn’t want the money for himself, he said; he simply wanted to provide his parents with “a comfortable old age.”
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
It built out its urgent-care and primary-care business, spending about $10 billion to buy Oak Street Health, which provides primary care to older adults.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Meanwhile, Aurora said the deal provides an immediate valuation benefit while blocking a disruptive takeover battle that has played out since August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
The Department of Health, which provides funding to the trust, has been approached for comment by BBC News NI.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
However, the study did not establish whether eating the two fruits together provides greater benefits than consuming either fruit separately.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
In short, the historical record itself, and not just our own omniscient imaginations, provides the requisite evidence from which we can reconstruct the response to the proslavery argument.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The broader idea challenges the assumption that every unusual biological feature must have evolved because it provided a direct survival benefit.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Even before results are finalised, the night has provided some historic results and scenes of celebration.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Of six cases filed in 2015 under that law, two were closed in 2017 after the companies provided information in response to the legal notices, while investigations into four remain open.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Subsequent direct imaging and spectroscopic observations have provided additional support for the companion's existence.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
The caption they’d provided read, That feeling when you open your heart...to a complete stranger.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
The cells subsequently showed signs of damage caused by the toxic drug, providing proof that the approach could generate a cancer-fighting substance directly within its intended target.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Ad Age rounded up five ways marketers can address declining consumer sentiment, from reducing purchase risk to providing transparent pricing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
"Each space may offer something slightly different but they are all united by a shared commitment to providing warmth, kindness, connections and of course, a cup of tea."
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The company offers “visible conventional geothermal growth through 2030, with EGS providing longer-term upside,” the analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Reach Higher would seek to help them along the way, providing more support for school counselors and easier access to federal financial aid.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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