provenance

noun

prov·​e·​nance ˈpräv-nən(t)s How to pronounce provenance (audio)
ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s
1
2
: the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature

Examples of provenance in a Sentence

Has anyone traced the provenances of these paintings? The artifact is of unknown provenance.
Recent Examples on the Web But would anyone actually wear sneakers with such a rare provenance and hefty price? The New York Times, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Neither Adobe nor any regulatory body are forcing tech companies or their users to dutifully add provenance credentials to their content. Popular Science, 8 Feb. 2024 Adobe recently released the Content Credentials system that puts content provenance information into the metadata of images. Emilia David, The Verge, 6 Feb. 2024 At the Fowler, on the other hand, provenance research tracking histories of ownership in the collection unearthed glaring problems. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Other items with royal provenance in the ongoing Fine Autograph and Artifacts sale include a Christmas card that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sent to his sister Sophie of Greece and Denmark in 1952. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 4 Jan. 2024 So while the cuts at the supermarket were generally more limited than those a butcher could offer—and their provenances less clear—for many, the pros outweighed the cons. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 One source of controversy for generative AI is the provenance of its training data. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2024 The Provenance of the Manuscript The first indication of the manuscript’s medieval origins is its provenance. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provenance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from provenir to come forth, originate, from Latin provenire, from pro- forth + venire to come — more at pro-, come

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of provenance was in 1785

Dictionary Entries Near provenance

Cite this Entry

“Provenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provenance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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