provide meaning

Verb: provide pru'vId

Give something useful or necessary to
"We provided the room with an electrical heater"
- supply, render, furnish
Give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
"The hostess provided lunch for all the guests"
- supply, ply, cater
Determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), especially by including a proviso condition or stipulation
"The will provides that each child should receive half of the money"; "The Constitution provides for the right to free speech"
Mount or put up
- put up, offer
Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
"This procedure provides for lots of leeway"
- leave, allow for, allow
Supply means of subsistence; earn a living
"He provides for his large family by working three jobs"
- bring home the bacon
Take measures in preparation for
"provide for the proper care of the passengers on the cruise ship"

Derived forms: providing, provides, provided

See also: provident, provider, provision

Type of: afford, condition, engage, fix, gear up, give, prepare, qualify, ready, set, set up, specify, stipulate, support, wage, yield

[Business]
verb [+ obj]

1 provide sb (with sth) | provide sth (for sb)

to give sth to sb or make it available for them to use:

Your website should provide the information that customers need.

The bank has provided the company with a three-year loan.

The enterprise has provided jobs for more than 1 000 people.

Please answer questions in the space provided.

SYN SUPPLY

2 (Law ) provide that

(about a law or rule) to state that sth will or must happen:

The final section provides that any work produced for the company is thereafter owned by the company.

SYN STIPULATE ⇨ PROVISION

PHRASAL VERBS

provide against sth (formal)

to make preparations to deal with sth bad or unpleasant that might happen in the future:

You can take out insurance to provide against loss of income through sickness or accident.

provide for sth

to prepare to deal with sth that is going to happen or that might happen in the future, especially sth bad or unpleasant:

You should start saving now to provide for your retirement.

This was a contingency

(= an event) we had not provided for.

2 (Law )

(about a law, rule, etc.) to make it possible for sth to be done:

The agreement will provide for a possible extension of at least two years.

3 (Law )

(about a law, rule, etc.) to state that sth will or must happen:

The regulations provide for the keeping of records by persons who import goods for sale.

Examples

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