afford

verb af·ford \ ə-ˈfȯrd \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

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Examples: afford in a Sentence

Definition of afford

afforded; affording; affords

transitive verb

1 a : 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

See afford defined for English-language learners

See afford defined for kids

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 of afford from the Web

At the start of summer in New York, the spendthrift Europhile, unable to afford a transatlantic voyage, can reach, on foot, several airy patios with echoes of Provence.

— neima jahromi, The New Yorker, "Seeking a Continental Illusion at Vol de Nuit," 8 June 2018
Amber* and her husband struggled to afford the $600 upfront fee to cover the cost of an out-of-pocket IUD.

— gretchen borchelt, refinery29.com, "Access To Birth Control Is A Right, No Matter What The Trump Administration Thinks," 7 June 2018
Loans such as the ones from BBVA Frances are also a key way for many to afford the tickets and travel after their currency has plunged more than 25 percent this year.

— Fortune, "This Lender Is Betting Fans Will Pay 50% on a Loan for a Trip to the World Cup," 6 June 2018
Net-a-Porter is full of straight-off-the-runway, luxurious designer fashions that are impossible to resist (and sometimes, impossible to afford).

— kami phillips, PEOPLE.com, "Net-a-Porter is Having an Insanely Awesome 50 Percent Off Sale! Shop the Best Under-$200 Items Now," 4 June 2018
Thousands of students are unable to afford college and most who graduate are saddled with very high debt.

— byline, BostonGlobe.com, "Should Massachusetts drop tuition and fees for in-state students at its public colleges and universities?," 1 June 2018
In true gran turismo fashion, the GT’s suspension manages to afford agile cornering without herniating the discs in your lower back.

— al haas, Philly.com, "Volkswagen offers a roomy 2018 Passat GT that's fun to play with," 31 May 2018
The goal is spurring developers to build housing for a group of residents that make too much to qualify for subsidized housing, but not enough to afford the high–end housing projects developers prefer because of wider profit margins.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New incentive aims to spur construction of housing for middle-income residents," 31 May 2018
Some locals with their roots firmly planted in the same county for generations struggle to afford making rent and traffic is worsening.

— Southern Living, "Surprise! Retirees Are Flocking to This Southern Region," 16 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of 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-, ¹forth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

afford Synonyms

Synonyms

go, swing;

Related Words

cover;

expend, finance, outlay, pay (for), pony up, spring (for);

pick up, purchase, take;

acquire, get, obtain, procure, secure;

bid, offer;

bankroll, endow, subsidize, underwrite;

Synonym Discussion of 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

AFFORD Defined for English Language Learners

afford

verb

Definition of afford for English Language Learners

: to be able to pay for (something)
: to be able to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
: to supply or provide (something needed or wanted) to someone