provision
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1pro·vi·sion
noun \prə-ˈvi-zhən\Definition of PROVISION
1
a : the act or process of providing(see provide) b : the fact or state of being prepared beforehand c : a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need or contingency : preparation <made provision for replacements>
2
: a stock of needed materials or supplies; especially : a stock of food —usually used in plural
3
See Examples of PROVISION
- Provisions should be made for regular inspections.
- He made provisions to donate part of his fortune to charity after he died.
- You should make provision for emergencies.
- I carried my provisions in one large backpack.
- We brought enough provisions to last the entire trip.
- The President, of all people, should know how difficult it is to take care of basic things like, say, prescription drugs for the elderly or shelter from the storm—especially if your government places a low priority on the efficient provision of public services and a high priority on the care and feeding of cronies … —Joe Klein, Time, 6 Feb. 2006
- Nothing was overlooked. There was a fallback position, a fail-safe provision, for any contingency. —Gary Wills, New York Times Book Review, 1 Apr. 2001
- They wheedled the American Congress into awarding entry terms more favorable than those enjoyed by any other state, including two unique provisions: Texas and not the federal government would own all public lands, and the state would retain forever the right to divide into five smaller states if that proved attractive, each one to have two senators and a proportionate number of representatives. —James A. Michener, Texas, 1985
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Origin of PROVISION
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin provision-, provisio act of providing, from Latin, foresight, from providēre to see ahead — more at provide
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to PROVISION
- Synonyms
- contingency, if, condition, proviso, qualification, reservation, stipulation
Rhymes with PROVISION
2pro·vi·sion
transitive verb \prə-ˈvi-zhən\pro·vi·sionedpro·vi·sion·ing \-ˈvi-zhə-niŋ, -ˈvizh-niŋ\
Definition of PROVISION
: to supply with needed materials (as food) : to supply with provisions
Examples of PROVISION
- They stopped to provision the ship.
- <the climbers were sufficiently provisioned to withstand just about any mountaineering emergency>
- Few modern eaters consume such a wide range of plants, fruits, and animals, even when provisioned by a vast international or multi-ethnic marketplace. —Donna R. Gabaccia, We Are What We Eat, 1998
- But biographies, like translations, are rarely provisioned to last forever, for they reflect the world of their authors as much as their subjects. —Morris Dickstein, New York Times Book Review, 1 Feb. 1998
- As the cubs began to feed more regularly on meat, she provisioned them with hares, hyraxes, an Egyptian mongoose, and guinea fowl. —John A. Cavallo, Natural History, February 1990
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Origin of PROVISION
(see 1provision)
First Known Use: 1809
Related to PROVISION
Rhymes with PROVISION
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