provision — English Dictionary

Noun

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   [H]e hath preſerued all points of Humanity, in taking Order, and making Proviſion for the Releefe of Strangers diſtreſſed; whereof you have taſted.

   More examples (1)

   [Noah] Began to build a Veſſel of huge bulk, / Meaſur'd by Cubit, length, and breadth, and highth, / Smeared round with Pitch, and in the ſide a dore, / Contriv'd, and of proviſions laid in large / For Man and Beaſt: [...]

   We have an infirm ſhip's company, and but five months proviſion, which muſt ſerve us to China unleſs we get a ſupply at Guam.

2. The act of providing, or making previous preparation.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Fiue dayes we do allot thee for prouision, To shield thee from disasters of the world,

3. Money set aside for a future event.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   And as congressional Republicans were passing a very unpopular Trump agenda bill last month, Vice President JD Vance argued that its historic expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and new immigration enforcement provisions were so important that “everything else” was “immaterial.”

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

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

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   conditiondispositionstipulation

   Examples

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

   Almost half of MEPs wanted to remove the new provisions' to expand the use of megatrucks but an amendment to do that failed to pass by just six votes.

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

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

   Usage

   • UK usage
   • Countable
   • Historical
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   a papal provision

Verb

1. To supply with provisions.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   to provision an army

   More examples (1)

   We had soon touched land in the same place as before and set to provision the blockhouse. All three made the first journey, heavily laden, and tossed our stores over the palisade.

   An emancipated slave must be provisioned by the master.

2. 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.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Antonyms

   deprovision

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   A solution is to provision new systems on a private network where they can receive updates, patches, and secure configurations from an internal repository before being placed into a production network.

Noun

1. a stipulated condition

   Synonyms

   proviso

   Broader terms

   conditionpreconditionstipulation

   Examples

   he accepted subject to one provision

2. the activity of supplying or providing something

   Synonyms

   supplysupplying

   Broader terms

   activity

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

   Synonyms

   planningpreparation

   Broader terms

   thinkingthoughtthought processcerebrationintellectionmentation

   Examples

   his planning for retirement was hindered by several uncertainties

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

   Broader terms

   storestockfund

Verb

1. supply with provisions

   Synonyms

   purvey

   Broader terms

   supplyproviderenderfurnishoffer