prepare

English

Etymology

Partially a back-formation from preparation; and partially borrowed from Middle French preparer, from Classical Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”). Compare Middle English preparaten (“to prepare”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈpɛə/, /pɹɪˈpɛː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈpɛ(ə)ɹ/, /pɹəˈpɛ(ə)ɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)

Verb

prepare (third-person singular simple present prepares, present participle preparing, simple past and past participle prepared)

1. (transitive) To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble or equip.

   We prepared the spacecraft for takeoff.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Psalms 107:36:

     that they may prepare a city for habitation

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     our souls, not yet prepared for upper light

2. (transitive) To make ready for eating or drinking; to cook.

   We prepared a fish for dinner.

3. (intransitive) To make oneself ready; to get ready, make preparation.

   We prepared for a bumpy ride.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.

   • 2023 April 10, “Taiwan's frontline islanders resigned in face of Chinese military might”, in France 24‎, archived from the original on 2023-04-10‎:

     Tourists visited a memorial hall adorned by a slogan in the handwriting of Chiang Kai-shek, Taiwan's divisive former nationalist leader: "Stay alert and prepare for battle."

4. (transitive) To produce or make by combining elements; to synthesize, compound.

   She prepared a meal from what was left in the cupboards.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that can take a following verb in its to + infinitive form. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• busk (obsolete), graith (obsolete), ready, yark (obsolete)
• (To make oneself ready): get ready

Derived terms

Related terms

• preparation
• preparatory

Translations

Noun

prepare

1. (obsolete) preparation
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , line 130:

     Go levy men, and make prepare for war;

Anagrams

• paperer, repaper

Galician

Verb

prepare

1. inflection of preparar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French préparer (“prepare”), from Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɣepaɣe/

Verb

prepare

1. prepare

Portuguese

Verb

prepare

1. inflection of preparar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

prepare

1. third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of prepara

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeˈpaɾe/
• Rhymes: -aɾe
• Syllabification: pre‧pa‧re

Verb

prepare

1. inflection of preparar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative