provide

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English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English providen, from Latin prōvidēre (“to foresee, act with foresight”). Doublet of purvey.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: prə-vīdʹ, IPA(key): /pɹəˈvaɪd/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪd
  • Hyphenation: pro‧vide

Verb

provide (third-person singular simple present provides, present participle providing, simple past and past participle provided)

  1. To make a living; earn money for necessities.
    It is difficult to provide for my family working on minimum wage.
  2. To act to prepare for something.
    provide against disaster.
  3. To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate.
    The contract provides that the work be well done.
    I'll lend you the money, provided that you pay it back by Monday.
  4. To give what is needed or desired, especially basic needs.
    Don't bother bringing equipment, as we will provide it.
    We aim to provide the local community with more green spaces.
    • 2006, Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Penguin Press, →ISBN, page 320:
      Humans provided the animals with food and protection in exchange for which the animals provided the humans their milk, eggs, and—yes—their flesh.
  5. To furnish (with), cause to be present.
    • 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations:
      Rome […] was generally well provided with corn.
  6. To make possible or attainable.
    He provides us with an alternative option.
  7. (obsolete, Latinism) To foresee, to consider in advance.
    • 1603 (first performance; published 1605), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Seianus his Fall. A Tragœdie. ”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: Will Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC:
      , Act 5, Scene 10, in Gifford’s 1816 edition volume III page 144
      We have not been covetous, honourable fathers, to change, neither is it now any new lust that alters our affection, or old lothing, but those needful jealousies of state, that warn wiser princes hourly to provide their safety, and do teach them how learned a thing it is to beware of the humblest enemy; much more of those great ones, whom their own employed favours have made fit for their fears.
    • 1606, Ben Jonson, Volpone, Dedication, in Gifford’s 1816 edition volume III page 164:
      As for those that will (by faults which charity hath raked up, or common honesty concealed) make themselves a name with the multitude, or, to draw their rude and beastly claps, care not whose living faces they intrench with their petulant styles, may they do it without a rival, for me! I choose rather to live graved in obscurity, than share with them in so preposterous a fame. Nor can I blame the wishes of those severe and wise patriots, who providing the hurts these licentious spirits may do in a state, desire rather to see fools and devils, and those antique relics of barbarism retrieved, with all other ridiculous and exploded follies, than behold the wounds of private men, of princes and nations
  8. To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice before it is vacant. See provisor.
    • 1838, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic. , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: American Stationers’ Company; John B. Russell, →OCLC:
      provide such natives to the higher dignities of the church

Usage notes

As seen in the examples, when not used with that for previous conditions, provide is used with the prepositions for (beneficiary; also without preposition, usual for pronouns) and with (object).

Conjugation

Conjugation of provide
infinitive (to) provide
present tense past tense
1st-person singular provide provided
2nd-person singular provide, providest† provided, providedst†
3rd-person singular provides, provideth† provided
plural provide
subjunctive provide provided
imperative provide —
participles providing provided

†Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

Galician

Alternative forms

Verb

provide

  1. second-person plural imperative of provir

Italian

Verb

provide

  1. third-person singular past historic of provedere

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

From prōvidus (“prophetic, prudent, cautious”) +‎ -ē, from prōvideō (“foresee, be cautious”).

Pronunciation

Adverb

prōvidē (comparative prōvidius, superlative prōvidissimē)

  1. carefully, prudently

Verb

prōvidē

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of prōvideō

Noun

prōvide

  1. singular vocative of prōvidus

References

  • “provide”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • provide in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
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