Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

provide

/pɹəˈvaɪd/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.15 in modern English

Syllables: pro-vide
IPA: /pɹəˈvaɪd/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make a living; earn money for necessities.

verb

To act to prepare for something.

verb

To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate.

verb

To give what is needed or desired, especially basic needs.

verb

To furnish (with), cause to be present, supply.

verb

To make possible or attainable.

verb

To foresee, to consider in advance.

Obsolete

verb

To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice before it is vacant. See provisor.

Example Sentences

"It is difficult to provide for my family working on minimum wage."
"provide against disaster."
"The contract provides that the work be well done."
"I'll lend you the money, provided that you pay it back by Monday."
"Don't bother bringing equipment, as we will provide it."
"We aim to provide the local community with more green spaces."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *per-, providen, prōvideō

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

provides (present, singular) providing (participle, present) provided (participle, past) provided (past) no-table-tags (table tags) glossary (inflection template) provided (first person, past) providest (archaic, present) provided (past, second person) providedst (archaic, past) provideth (archaic, present) provided (past, singular)

Derived Forms

disprovide foreprovide improvided misprovide nonprovided preprovide providable providee provider reprovide underprovide underprovided

Phrases

as provided for

Frequently Paired Words

provision

Synonyms

afford treat supply ply cater bring home the bacon render furnish offer

Rhymes With

side outside died inside side-by-side tried wide ride decide guide applied aside

Questions

How do you pronounce provide?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɹəˈvaɪd/.
What does provide mean?: To make a living; earn money for necessities.
Where does provide come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce provide

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “provide”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɹəˈvaɪd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “provide”.
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