provide
Americanverb (used with object)
-
provides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
provided,
past participle, past
-
providing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
provides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
provided,
past participle, past
-
providing
present participle
-
to take measures with due foresight (usually followed by for oragainst ).
-
to make arrangements for supplying means of support, money, etc. (usually followed byfor ).
He provided for his children in his will.
-
to supply means of support (often followed byfor ).
to provide for oneself.
verb
-
to put at the disposal of; furnish or supply
-
to afford; yield
this meeting provides an opportunity to talk
-
(intr; often foll by for or against) to take careful precautions (over)
he provided against financial ruin by wise investment
-
to supply means of support (to), esp financially
he provides for his family
-
(in statutes, documents, etc) to determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), esp by including a proviso condition
-
to confer and induct into ecclesiastical offices
-
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
-
providernoun
-
overprovideverb (used with object)
-
preprovideverb (used with object)
-
providableadjective
-
unprovidableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
providesimple
-
providessimple
-
have providedperfect
-
has providedperfect
-
am providingprogressive
-
are providingprogressive
-
is providingprogressive
-
have been providingperfect progressive
-
has been providingperfect progressive
Past
-
providedsimple
-
had providedperfect
-
was providingprogressive
-
were providingprogressive
-
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)
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!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 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!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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:
Newsom issued an executive order to convene “a group of world-leading experts” to provide a “guide” for the state to bolster its laws around AI security, according to statement from the governor’s office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The experience has left her frustrated with what she sees as hesitation by some of Ukraine's foreign partners to provide additional air-defence missiles.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
In Virginia, buyers should expect the condo association to provide potential buyers with a booklet disclosing any pending lawsuits, any planned big repairs and the amount of financial reserves they have, Colgan said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Chattel slavery in Barbados would provide an example to other North American colonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But his mother, whom Dasch described as a "battle axe," had always managed to somehow provide food, clothing, an education, and a home.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
While “The Pineapple” flirts with horror, torture and conspiracy nuts, it also provides space for Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The sale of the factory to the defense company, Roshel, provides the most credible path for production to resume and create employment, the automaker added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The company’s Hyve Solutions business, which provides custom hardware such as servers and networking equipment for data centers, should benefit from increasing demand for faster processing and networking, the analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The arm of the Defense Department provides legal counsel for people facing military tribunals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
And that’s what this popular app often promoted on CountDowners provides.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Four actors, affixed with in-ear monitors, occupy different seats as testimony is elicited, provided and undermined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
A UK government spokesperson said the funding for the Household Electricity Discount Scheme was provided through the prime minister's "commitment to remove VAT and some levies from electricity bills".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Canadian government, alongside regional authorities, had provided roughly $710 million to Stellantis to help with plant reconfiguration, conditional on the company meeting certain production and employment thresholds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
This is illustrated by the accompanying chart, courtesy of calculations provided by Wes Crill, a vice president at Dimensional Fund Advisers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Murmuring voices provided a steady hum in the background.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
At a time when Americans’ grasp of personal-finance concepts is on the decline and many students don’t receive training in financial literacy in school, providing support “doesn’t require writing a check,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Always pursuing the next endeavor to help the marginalized, Chatfield focused his efforts on providing food for the homeless in Sacramento.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
"Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games," World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Caesars and Fertitta said Thursday they intend to work cooperatively with the FTC, providing the requested additional information and documentary material.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Accompanying the article was another, by Gosling and Franklin, providing strong crystallographic evidence for the double-helical structure.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
