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 Same goes for finding ways to make field trips and sports accessible to students who may not be able to afford it. — Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 15 July 2021 An 11 year old was asking for a bike for his birthday, but his foster family couldn't afford to buy him one. — Gabriel Kinder, CNN, 8 July 2021 Critics say the Medicare program won’t be able to afford the medicine. — BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2021 That it’s a relatively low fee that most will be able to able to afford. — John Benson, cleveland, 30 June 2021 The sisters, along with their mother, Tonia Handy, shared the heartbreaking story of moving into a Brooklyn homeless shelter after falling on hard times and not being able to afford rent. — Joanne Rosa, ABC News, 29 June 2021 Who will be able to afford to risk the legal penalties or social ramifications? — Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 29 June 2021 Many Mississippians who remain unvaccinated are from poor, rural areas of the state and may not be able to afford transportation to towns with adequate supplies of vaccines. — NBC News, 27 June 2021 With a buffer of savings and other financial assets, experts note, wealthier families are better able to afford a college education and other academic enrichment that helps create a foundation for success. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 25 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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