provenance

prov·e·nance | \ ˈpräv-nən(t)s

How to pronounce provenance (audio)

, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\

Definition of provenance

1 : origin, source

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 This means sellers rarely take the time to do proper provenance research or to have the works technically analyzed. — Gerard De Kamper, Quartz Africa, "The rising popularity of African art has led to a growing market for forgeries," 23 Oct. 2019 How, like everything served at Lula, provenance matters, as does technique, and most importantly, balance. — Adam Rapoport, Bon Appétit, "I Will Never Make a Sandwich as Good as The One at Lula Cafe," 27 Sep. 2019 And lately spirits drinkers are increasingly talking about how the provenance of raw materials influence a whiskey or rum’s flavors. — BostonGlobe.com, "SINGAPORE SLING," 10 Sep. 2019 Delving into the provenance of Glinda’s character reveals a lineage of thinkers who saw the witch as a symbol of female autonomy. — Pam Grossman, The Atlantic, "The Wizard of Oz Invented the ‘Good Witch’," 25 Aug. 2019 The point gets lost when every menu has a list of the provenance of their ingredients. — Laura Reiley, Washington Post, "A new book explains the sudden death of the golden age of dining out in America," 9 July 2019 Although their provenance is often mysterious, earworm songs have some common traits. — Markham Heid, Time, "You Asked: Why Do Certain Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?," 24 Jan. 2018 Vaping-product manufacturers have sought to distinguish their goods from counterfeits acquired on the street and to blame the latter, but investigators have not yet confirmed the provenance of many of the products involved in the disease. — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, "Hunt for Cause of Vaping Illness Suggests Multiple Mechanisms of Damage," 17 Sep. 2019 The provenance of the recording is not known, though its authenticity was not immediately questioned. — Washington Post, "Baghdadi urges followers to continue attacks, storm prisons in purported new recording," 16 Sep. 2019

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

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Last Updated

12 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for provenance

The first known use of provenance was in 1785

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recondite

concealed or difficult to comprehend

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