pro·vi·sion
prə-ˈvi-zhən 
1
a
: 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
pro·vi·sion
prə-ˈvi-zhən
provisioned; provisioning
prə-ˈvi-zhə-niŋ
-ˈvizh-niŋ
: to supply with needed materials (such as food) : to supply with provisions
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
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
The provision O’Brien refers to in his letter, if passed, would place a 10-year moratorium on state and local AI legislation; that is to say, non-federal governments in the U.S. would be barred from enacting and enforcing laws related to AI, its risks or its further development.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 25 June 2025
Daniel Root, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
No longer was the act of buying goods one of provisioning, asking for flour or butter from behind the counter.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for provision
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
This is not an option for small businesses that rely on the tax provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
The provision O’Brien refers to in his letter, if passed, would place a 10-year moratorium on state and local AI legislation; that is to say, non-federal governments in the U.S. would be barred from enacting and enforcing laws related to AI, its risks or its further development.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 25 June 2025
Verb
The culprit could be that the laptop hasn’t been fully provisioned, the external hardware hasn’t been approved by IT or both.
—Daniel Root, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
No longer was the act of buying goods one of provisioning, asking for flour or butter from behind the counter.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for provision
Cite this Entry
“Provision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provision. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provision
1 of 2 noun
pro·vi·sion
prə-ˈvizh-ən
1
a
: the act or process of providing
provision of transportation for the trip
b
: something done beforehand : preparation
make provision for emergencies
2
: a stock of materials or supplies
especially
: a stock of food
—usually used in plural
3
: condition entry 1 sense 1
a constitutional provision
Legal Definition
provision
noun
pro·vi·sion
prə-ˈvi-zhən
: a stipulation (as a clause in a statute or contract) made beforehand
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share