afford

UK: /əˈfɔː^rd/ US: /əˈfɔrd/ ,(ə fôrd′, ə fōrd′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

af•ford /əˈfɔrd/   v. 

1. to be able to undergo without serious consequence: [~ + object]
   [not: be + ~-ing] The country can't afford another drought.
   [~ + to + verb]
   We can't afford to take the chance.
2. [not: be + ~-ing;
   ~ + object] to be able to meet the expense of or pay for: Can I afford a new car?
3. to furnish;
   supply;
   give: [~ + object + object]
   The sale afforded the stockholders a profit.
   [~ + object + to + object]
   It afforded a substantial profit to the stockholders.

af•ford•a•ble, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

af•ford  (ə fôrd′, ə fōrd′), v.t. 

1. to be able to do, manage, or bear without serious consequence or adverse effect:
   The country can't afford another drought.
2. to be able to meet the expense of;
   have or be able to spare the price of:
   Can we afford a trip to Europe this year? The city can easily afford to repair the street.
3. to be able to give or spare:
   He can't afford the loss of a day.
4. to furnish;
   supply:
   The transaction afforded him a good profit.
5. to be capable of yielding or providing:
   The records afford no explanation.
6. to give or confer upon:
   to afford great pleasure to someone.

• Middle English aforthen, iforthen, Old English geforthian to further, accomplish, equivalent. to ge- y- + forth forth + -ian infinitive suffix bef. 1050

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

afford / əˈfɔːd/ verb

1. preceded by can, could, etc: to be able to do or spare something, esp without incurring financial difficulties or without risk of undesirable consequences
2. to give, yield, or supply

Etymology: Old English geforthian to further, promote, from forth forth; the Old English prefix ge- was later reduced to a-, and the modern spelling (C16) is influenced by words beginning aff-

afˈfordable adjective

afˌfordaˈbility noun