provenance

noun

prov·​e·​nance ˈpräv-nən(t)s 

ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s

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

Their fix is to let the same model that does the reasoning also curate the knowledge, stored as human-readable notes and organized hierarchically with provenance and a lifecycle so stale plays decay rather than calcify. — Jesse Li, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Collectors are competing for works with scarcity, exceptional provenance, and a clear place in art history. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026

In the case of this 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, guitar great Eric Clapton is included in its provenance. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 June 2026

And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance? — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from provenir to come forth, originate, from Latin provenire, from pro- forth + venire to come — more at pro-, come

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1