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
Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
For now, a provision remains active for the Department of Government Efficiency Service and state officials to access Department of Homeland Security and State Department databases to flag potential noncitizen voters.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Instead of worrying about provisioning resources or troubleshooting the latest server hiccup, you’re freed up to work on the things that really move the needle.
—Kirimgeray Kirimli, Forbes, 3 Mar. 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
But these recent examples suggest the provision is no longer serving that purpose.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
For now, a provision remains active for the Department of Government Efficiency Service and state officials to access Department of Homeland Security and State Department databases to flag potential noncitizen voters.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
Goldman Sachs provisioned $287 million primarily for potential credit losses in its credit card portfolio; this provision represents a 10% decline from the same period in 2024.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Instead of worrying about provisioning resources or troubleshooting the latest server hiccup, you’re freed up to work on the things that really move the needle.
—Kirimgeray Kirimli, Forbes, 3 Mar. 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 3 May. 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