afford

verb

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af·ford | \ ə-ˈfȯrd

afforded; affording; affords

Definition of afford

transitive verb

1a : to manage to bear without serious detriment You can't afford to neglect your health.

b : to be able to bear the cost of can't afford to be out of work long

2 : to make available, give forth, or provide naturally or inevitably The sun affords warmth to the earth. a delay that will afford us more time

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About afford

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Choose the Right Synonym for afford

give, present, donate, bestow, confer, afford mean to convey to another as a possession. give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means. give alms gave her a ride on a pony give my love to your mother present carries a note of formality and ceremony. present an award donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity). donate a piano to the orphanage bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver. bestow unwanted advice confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor). confer an honorary degree afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver. the trees afford shade a development that affords us some hope

Examples of afford in a Sentence

We were too poor to afford a doctor. He'll be able to afford a house next year. Don't spend more than you can afford. They couldn't afford new coats for the children. We can afford waiting a while longer. All of the rooms afford views of the lake. He was afforded the opportunity to work for a judge.

Recent Examples on the Web By limiting the number of employees with regular access to downtown office space, employers may be able to afford a premium option for those employees who do need a private, secure space to work. — Kenny Kane, Forbes, 22 June 2021 And far more Black Americans reported being concerned about being able to afford food, cover their rent or mortgage and pay their bills, said Khadijah Edwards, a research associate at Pew. — Tami Luhby, CNN, 19 June 2021 While the organization helps provide them with resources, including comprehensive case management, a full medical team, youth and family programming, cultural orientations and more, many clients are not able to afford cars. — Gabrielle Bunton, The Courier-Journal, 9 June 2021 Inequities in the vaccine drive have emerged in recent days with the rich being able to afford shots at private hospitals while the poor struggle to pay or register online to book a slot. — Washington Post, 9 June 2021 Plus, the Trump administration imposed regulations that now allow health plans to be non-ACA-compliant, putting patients at risk of not being able to afford screenings when they're required to pay out of pocket. — Jennifer Chesak, Health.com, 7 June 2021 Callender notes there are only a few rules: namely one has to be able to afford it, and guests must generally maintain a sense of decorum. — Rachel King, Fortune, 5 June 2021 Young gay boy writers have this glamorous idea of being Carrie Bradshaw, someone who writes once a month and somehow was able to afford an apartment in Manhattan. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 4 June 2021 Even if broadband is available, the owner of a small family farm trying to stay financially afloat may not be able to afford it. — jsonline.com, 3 June 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afford.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for afford

respelling (after Latin borrowings with initial aff-) of Middle English iforthen, aforthen, going back to Old English geforðian "to send out, promote, carry out," from ge-, perfective prefix + forðian "to send out, promote," verbal derivative of forþ "forth, forward" — more at co-, forth entry 1

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