provide

verb

pro·​vide prə-ˈvīd How to pronounce provide (audio)
provided; providing
Synonyms of provide

transitive verb

1
a
: to supply or make available (something wanted or needed)
provided new uniforms for the band
also : afford
curtains provide privacy
b
: to make something available to
provide the children with free balloons
2
: to have as a condition : stipulate
the contract provides that certain deadlines will be met
3
archaic : to prepare in advance

intransitive verb

1
: to make preparation to meet a need
provide for entertainment
especially : to supply something for sustenance or support
provides for the poor
2
: to make a proviso or stipulation
The constitution … provides for an elected two-chamber legislature.—Current Biography
3
: to take precautionary measures
… provide for the common defense …—U.S. Constitution

Synonyms of provide

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of provide in a Sentence

The website provides information about local activities. The curtains on the windows provide privacy. The school provided new uniforms for the band. The goal is to provide health care to as many people as possible. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided at the meeting. The website provides users with information about local activities. The school provided the band with new uniforms. The store provides its customers with excellent service. Workers were provided with gloves for protection. The contract provides that certain deadlines will be met.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These tests provide an opportunity to examine system performance under flight conditions and identify potential issues before a missile launch. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026 Reps could not provide information on how much stock is available and for how long. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 The partnership aims to provide global satellite-to-device connectivity, enabling standard smartphones and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices to access services in areas where terrestrial mobile networks are unavailable or have limited coverage. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 When traditional bank financing is not an option, alternative funding solutions may be able to provide the liquidity businesses need to expand and strengthen their operations. — Andrew Coon, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for provide

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin providēre, literally, to see ahead, from pro- forward + vidēre to see — more at pro-, wit

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of provide was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing provide

Rhymes for provide

See All Rhymes for provide

Browse Nearby Words

pro-vice-chancellor
provide
provide against
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Provide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provide. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

provide

verb
pro·​vide prə-ˈvīd How to pronounce provide (audio)
provided; providing
1
: to take care of beforehand
provide against a possible scarcity
2
: to state a condition or stipulation
the contract provided for 10 paid holidays
3
: to supply what is needed for support
provides for a large family
4
: to supply or furnish for use
cows provide milk
provider noun
Etymology

Middle English providen "to provide," from Latin providēre, literally, "to see ahead," from pro- "ahead, forward" and vidēre "to see" — related to vision

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All