Standard Lemma guide

provision

noun · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pɹəˈvɪʒ.ən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AH0 V IH1 ZH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An item of goods or supplies, especially food, obtained for future use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of providing, or making previous preparation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Money set aside for a future event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A liability or contra account to recognise likely future adverse events associated with current transactions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: accounting, business, finance

Examples

  • We increased our provision for bad debts on credit sales going into the recession.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A clause in a legal instrument, a law, etc., providing for a particular matter; stipulation; proviso.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

Examples

  • An arrest shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: condition, disposition, stipulation

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Regular induction into a benefice, comprehending nomination, collation, and installation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: Catholicism, Christianity, Roman-Catholicism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A nomination by the pope to a benefice before it became vacant, depriving the patron of his right of presentation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable, historical, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To supply with provisions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to provision an army

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To supply (a user) with an account, resources, etc. so that they can use a system; to install the necessary software on a bare-bones system so it can be used for a specific purpose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: deprovision

10

noun

Meaning 10

the activity of supplying or providing something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supply, supplying

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: activity

Narrower terms: irrigation, feeding, alimentation, fueling, refueling, healthcare delivery, health care delivery, care delivery, issue, issuing, issuance, logistics, purveyance, stocking, subvention

11

noun

Meaning 11

the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his planning for retirement was hindered by several uncertainties

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: planning, preparation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: thinking, thought, thought process, cerebration, intellection, mentation

Narrower terms: agreement, arrangement, applecart, mens rea, malice aforethought, calculation, deliberation, premeditation, forethought

12

noun

Meaning 12

a stipulated condition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he accepted subject to one provision

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: proviso

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: condition, precondition, stipulation

13

noun

Meaning 13

a store or supply of something (especially of food or clothing or arms)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: store, stock, fund

14

verb

Meaning 14

supply with provisions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: purvey

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: supply, provide, render, furnish

History

Etymology

From Middle English provisioun, from Old French provisïon, from Latin prōvīsiō (“preparation, foresight”), from prōvidēre (“provide”).

Across languages

Translations

137 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: պարեն (paren) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Armenian: մթերք (mtʻerkʻ) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Azerbaijani: sursat — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Azerbaijani: tədarük — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Azerbaijani: azuqə — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Bulgarian: провизии (provizii) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Chinese Mandarin: 配给 (pèijǐ) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Ngazidja Comorian: zawadi — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Danish: forråd — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Danish: proviant — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Dutch: provisie — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Dutch: bevoorrading — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Dutch: proviand — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Esperanto: provianto — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Finnish: eväs — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Finnish: muona — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Finnish: varasto — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Finnish: varaus — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Finnish: vara — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • French: provision — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Galician: provisión — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Vorräte — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Proviant — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Vorrat — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Bevorratung — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Vorhaltung — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Vorkehrung — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • German: Vorsorge — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌻𐌳 (andstald) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Ancient Greek: πόρος (póros) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Ancient Greek: ὀψώνιον (opsṓnion) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Hebrew: אַסְפָּקָה (aspaka) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Hebrew: צֵידָה (tseyda) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Hungarian: ellátmány — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Ingrian: eväs — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Irish: lón — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Italian: fornitura — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Japanese: 支給 (shikyū) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Japanese: 配給 (haikyū) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Latin: penus — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Latin: penum — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Māori: ō — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Māori: ōmanapou — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Māori: pōwhiriwhiri — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Māori: kamenga — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Navajo: bidookįįłii — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skaffe — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fremskaffelse — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Plautdietsch: Väarot — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Polish: zaopatrzenie — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Polish: prowiant — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Polish: aprowizacja — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Portuguese: provisão — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Portuguese: mantimento — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Romanian: provizie — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Russian: снабже́ние (snabžénije) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Russian: провиа́нт (proviánt) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Sanskrit: खाद्य (khādya) — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Spanish: provisión — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Spanish: alforja — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Swedish: proviant — item of goods or supplies obtained for future use
  • Armenian: պարենավորում (parenavorum) — act of providing
  • Bulgarian: снабдяване (snabdjavane) — act of providing
  • Bulgarian: доставка (dostavka) — act of providing
  • Finnish: varautuminen — act of providing
  • German: Versorgung — act of providing
  • German: Beistellung — act of providing
  • German: Vorkehrung — act of providing
  • German: Versorgungsleistung — act of providing
  • German: Besorgung — act of providing
  • German: Fürsorge — act of providing
  • Hebrew: הַסְפָּקָה (haspaka) — act of providing
  • Indonesian: penyediaan — act of providing
  • Indonesian: provisi — act of providing
  • Irish: oirchill — act of providing
  • Irish: soláthar — act of providing
  • Italian: disposizione — act of providing
  • Malay: peruntukan — act of providing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: levering — act of providing
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: levering — act of providing
  • Occitan: provesiment — act of providing
  • Polish: aprowizacja — act of providing
  • Danish: hensættelse — money set aside
  • Finnish: varaus — money set aside
  • Finnish: vararahasto — money set aside
  • French: provision — money set aside
  • German: Rücklagen — money set aside
  • German: Reserve — money set aside
  • German: Rückstellung — money set aside
  • Japanese: 準備高 (jyunbi-daka) — money set aside
  • Polish: zabezpieczenie — money set aside
  • Portuguese: provisão — money set aside
  • Russian: обеспече́ние (obespečénije) — money set aside
  • Dutch: voorziening — accounting: liability or contra account
  • Finnish: varaus — accounting: liability or contra account
  • French: provision — accounting: liability or contra account
  • Greek: πρόβλεψη (próvlepsi) — accounting: liability or contra account
  • Polish: rezerwa — accounting: liability or contra account
  • Armenian: դրույթ (druytʻ) — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Bulgarian: условие (uslovie) — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 條件 /条件 (tiáojiàn) — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 條款 /条款 (tiáokuǎn) — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Dutch: bepaling — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Finnish: säännös — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Finnish: määräys — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • German: Regelung — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • German: Vorschrift — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • German: Klausel — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • German: Bestimmung — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • German: Verfügung — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Hebrew: תנאי (tnay) — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Italian: clausola — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Italian: norma — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Italian: disposizione — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Swedish: bestämmelse — law: clause in a legal instrument
  • Armenian: պարենավորել (parenavorel) — to supply with provisions
  • Esperanto: provizi — to supply with provisions
  • Estonian: hankima — to supply with provisions
  • Finnish: muonittaa — to supply with provisions
  • French: provisionner — to supply with provisions
  • German: versorgen — to supply with provisions
  • German: versehen — to supply with provisions
  • German: bereitstellen — to supply with provisions
  • Japanese: 支給する (shikyū suru) — to supply with provisions
  • Middle English: warnestoren — to supply with provisions
  • Polish: aprowidować — to supply with provisions
  • Polish: zaaprowidować — to supply with provisions
  • Polish: zaprowidować — to supply with provisions
  • Polish: zaopatrywać — to supply with provisions
  • Portuguese: prover — to supply with provisions
  • Portuguese: aprovisionar — to supply with provisions
  • Portuguese: provisionar — to supply with provisions
  • Spanish: aprovisionar — to supply with provisions
  • Spanish: avituallar — to supply with provisions
  • Spanish: pertrechar — to supply with provisions
  • Spanish: apertrechar — to supply with provisions
  • Spanish: esquifar — to supply with provisions
Real reading context

provision in complete knowledge articles