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pro·vi·sion | \ prə-ˈvi-zhən 
\
\Definition of provision
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : the act or process of providing
b : the fact or state of being prepared beforehand
c : a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need or contingency : preparation made provision for replacements
2 : a stock of needed materials or supplies especially : a stock of food —usually used in plural
3 : proviso, stipulation
provision
verbpro·vi·sion | \ prə-ˈvi-zhən \
\provisioned; provisioning\ prə-ˈvi-zhə-niŋ , -ˈvizh-niŋ \
, -ˈvizh-niŋ \Definition of provision (Entry 2 of 2)
: to supply with needed materials (such as food) : to supply with provisions
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Synonyms for provision
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
- accoutre
- (or accouter),
- equip,
- fit (out),
- furnish,
- gird,
- kit (up or out)
- [chiefly British],
- outfit,
- rig,
- supply
Examples of provision in a Sentence
Noun The President, of all people, should know how difficult it is to take care of basic things like, say, prescription drugs for the elderly or shelter from the storm—especially if your government places a low priority on the efficient provision of public services and a high priority on the care and feeding of cronies … — Joe Klein, Time, 6 Feb. 2006 Nothing was overlooked. There was a fallback position, a fail-safe provision, for any contingency. — Gary Wills, New York Times Book Review, 1 Apr. 2001 They wheedled the American Congress into awarding entry terms more favorable than those enjoyed by any other state, including two unique provisions: Texas and not the federal government would own all public lands, and the state would retain forever the right to divide into five smaller states if that proved attractive, each one to have two senators and a proportionate number of representatives. — James A. Michener, Texas, 1985 Provisions should be made for regular inspections.
He made provisions to donate part of his fortune to charity after he died.
You should make provision for emergencies.
I carried my provisions in one large backpack.
We brought enough provisions to last the entire trip. Verb Few modern eaters consume such a wide range of plants, fruits, and animals, even when provisioned by a vast international or multi-ethnic marketplace. — Donna R. Gabaccia, We Are What We Eat, 1998 But biographies, like translations, are rarely provisioned to last forever, for they reflect the world of their authors as much as their subjects. — Morris Dickstein, New York Times Book Review, 1 Feb. 1998 As the cubs began to feed more regularly on meat, she provisioned them with hares, hyraxes, an Egyptian mongoose, and guinea fowl. — John A. Cavallo, Natural History, February 1990
They stopped to provision the ship.
the climbers were sufficiently provisioned to withstand just about any mountaineering emergency
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The state question also includes provisions that would allow certain people with previous marijuana convictions to be resentenced or have their criminal records expunged.
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USA TODAY, "Puppy wins lotto, alligators, mountain lions, Dunkin Donuts wedding: News from around our 50 states," 30 Dec. 2019 Rules panned by environmentalists, ranchers The November 2017 plan provided for the release of wolf families, known as packs, from captivity into the wild, but other provisions roused wolf advocates' ire.
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Debra Utacia Krol, azcentral, "Competing interests leave Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts at a crossroads," 30 Dec. 2019 Those who intend on leaving their retirement account to heirs and beneficiaries like this provision because money can stay invested with the potential to continue growing tax-deferred.
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Washington Post, "Here are two retirement resolutions you definitely should make for the New Year," 30 Dec. 2019 The Lease Every apartment lease should have some general provisions about noise.
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Houston Chronicle, "Apartment Living: What to do about noisy neighbors," 21 Dec. 2019 The sentences represent the maximum allowed by French legal provisions at the time of the offenses.
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Gaspard Sebag, Fortune, "Former France Telecom CEO Jailed for ‘Moral Harassment’ Linked to Wave of Employee Suicides," 20 Dec. 2019 In other provisions, the spending bill compels the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately restore tens of thousands of complete inspection reports of animal facilities.
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David Grimm, Science | AAAS, "2020 U.S. spending bill restricts some animal research, pushes for lab animal retirement," 19 Dec. 2019 Another controversial provision allowed companies to challenge new laws in private arbitration.
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Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "How the USMCA sets the stage for the future of trade," 18 Dec. 2019 Even after that, the deal’s enforcement provisions will cause some anxiety.
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The Economist, "America and China reach a “phase one” trade deal," 14 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Today, many modern birds, mammals, and lizards provide a range of support, from protecting eggs and juveniles to actively provisioning their young and showing them how to forage.
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Tim Vernimmen, National Geographic, "Prehistoric parenting goes back even further than we thought," 23 Dec. 2019 The city’s vibrant Colonial economy was inextricably tied to provisioning the plantations of the West Indies and trafficking slaves within the Americas, and the wealth of many of Boston’s early families was born from this trade.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Startled by this discovery, the vicar at Old North plans to revamp the tours there, change interpretive signs, and ensure that the 150,000 yearly visitors to this Episcopal church have an opportunity to learn about these newly unearthed connections to Colonial slavery.," 27 Oct. 2019 On Tuesday, Russians were already sleeping in bunks at bases that American troops had spent years building and provisioning only to abandon them in haste just hours earlier.
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W.j. Hennigan, Time, "Litany of Defeat: Trump Defends Rising Costs of "Strategically Brilliant" Mideast Retreat," 18 Oct. 2019 This was to provision a large gathering of folks with a hankering for free snacks.
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Bulletin Board, Twin Cities, "Sunday Bulletin Board: “… and that’s when I swear I saw Elvis walk across my living room in blue suede shoes.”," 22 Sep. 2019 Furthermore, women could obtain both these resources on their own, freeing them from relying on men to provision them and their children with high-quality food.
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Curtis W. Marean, Scientific American, "When the Sea Saved Humanity," 1 Nov. 2012 This claim was quickly undone, however, as modern technology made the Pole accessible by airplane, submarine and well-provisioned expedition.
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David James, Anchorage Daily News, "In ‘North Pole: Nature and Culture,’ grappling with a place beyond time and measure," 3 Aug. 2019 Southwest says the ramp agent had been operating a provisioning truck, which is used to supply material for flights, including food and drink.
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Washington Post, "Truck hits parked plane at Pittsburgh Airport, worker hurt," 17 June 2019 Daimler initially provisioned less than €1 billion to address the problem, but on Friday set aside an extra €1.6 billion.
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Stephen Wilmot, WSJ, "Mercedes’ New Boss Takes a Costly Trip to the Repair Shop," 12 July 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'provision.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for provision
provision
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of provision
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the act or process of supplying or providing something
: something that is done in advance to prepare for something else
: a supply of food and other things that are needed
provision
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of provision (Entry 2 of 2)
: to supply (someone or something) with provisions and especially with food
See the full definition for provision in the English Language Learners Dictionary
provision
nounpro·vi·sion | \ prə-ˈvi-zhən \
\Kids Definition of provision
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a stock or store of supplies and especially of food
—usually used in pl.We have provisions to last us a week.
2 : the act of supplying
the provision of food
3 : condition entry 1 sense 2 the provisions of a contract
4 : something done beforehand
Make provision for emergencies.
provision
verbprovisioned; provisioning
Kids Definition of provision (Entry 2 of 2)
: to supply with things that are needed
provision
nounpro·vi·sion | \ prə-ˈvi-zhən \
\Legal Definition of provision
: a stipulation (as a clause in a statute or contract) made beforehand
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Comments on provision
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Time Traveler for provision
The first known use of provision was in the 14th century
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