to put at the disposal of; furnish or supply to afford; yield: this meeting provides an opportunity to talk - (intr; often followed by for or against)
to take careful precautions (over): she provided against financial ruin by wise investment - (intransitive) followed by for:
to supply means of support (to), esp financially: to provide for one's family to confer and induct into ecclesiastical offices
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
pro•vide /prəˈvaɪd/USA pronunciation
v., -vid•ed, -vid•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- to make available;
furnish: [~ + object + for + object]to provide benefits for employees.[~ + object (+ with) + object]to provide employees (with) benefits. - to supply or equip: [~ + object + with + object]to provide the army with tanks.[~ + object + for + object]to provide tanks for the army.
- to supply means of support:[~ + for + object]They worked hard to provide for their children.
- to yield:[~ + object]This tree provides shelter.
- Law to stipulate, as by a provision:[~ + that clause]The contract provides that the writer will receive an additional payment if his book is made into a movie.
- to take measures in preparation for something:[no object]You must provide for winter in this harsh climate.
pro•vide
(prə vīd′),USA pronunciation v., -vid•ed, -vid•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
pro•vid′a•ble, adj.
v.t.
- to make available;
furnish:to provide employees with various benefits. - to supply or equip:to provide the army with new fighter planes.
- to afford or yield.
- Lawto arrange for or stipulate beforehand, as by a provision or proviso.
- [Archaic.]to prepare or procure beforehand.
v.i.
- to take measures with due foresight (usually fol. by for or against).
- to make arrangements for supplying means of support, money, etc. (usually fol. by for):He provided for his children in his will.
- to supply means of support (often fol. by for):to provide for oneself.
- Latin prōvidēre to foresee, look after, provide for, equivalent. to prō- pro-1 + vidēre to see
- late Middle English providen 1375–1425
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged give, render.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged produce.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'provide for' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Friedmann model
- appanage
- attend
- authority file
- bacon
- budget
- corody
- cover
- do
- duty
- fend
- improvident
- improvise
- keep
- life-care
- live
- living
- maintain
- master plan
- provide
- purvey
- self-help
- self-sufficient
- shift
- subsistence farming
- supply
- support
- sustain
- valorize
- wit