Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of providing or supplying something.
  • noun The act of making preparations for a possible or future event or situation.
  • noun Something provided.
  • noun Necessary supplies, such as food and clothing, as for a journey.
  • noun A preparatory action or measure.
  • noun A particular requirement in a law, rule, agreement, or document.
  • intransitive verb To supply with provisions.
  • intransitive verb To take preparatory action or measures.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To provide with things necessary; especially, to supply with a store of food.
  • noun Foreseeing; foresight.
  • noun The act of providing, or making previous preparation.
  • noun A measure taken beforehand; something arranged or prepared in advance; a preparation; provident care.
  • noun Accumulation of stores or materials beforehand; a store or stock provided.
  • noun Specifically, a stock of food provided; hence, victuals; food; provender: usually in the plural.
  • noun In law, a stipulation; a rule provided; a distinct clause in an instrument or statute; a rule or principle to be referred to for guidance: as, the provisions of law; the provisions of the constitution. It is sometimes used of unwritten as well as of written laws and constitutions.
  • noun plural Certain early or medieval English statutes. See phrases below.
  • noun In eccles, law, promotion to office by an ecclesiastical superior; especially, appointment by the Pope to a see or benefice in advance of the next vacancy, setting aside the regular patron's right of nomination.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To supply with food; to victual.
  • noun The act of providing, or making previous preparation.
  • noun That which is provided or prepared; that which is brought together or arranged in advance; measures taken beforehand; preparation.
  • noun Especially, a stock of food; any kind of eatables collected or stored; -- often in the plural.
  • noun That which is stipulated in advance; a condition; a previous agreement; a proviso
  • noun (R. C. Ch.) A canonical term for regular induction into a benefice, comprehending nomination, collation, and installation.
  • noun (Eng. Hist.) A nomination by the pope to a benefice before it became vacant, depriving the patron of his right of presentation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An item of goods or supplies obtained for future use.
  • noun Money set aside for a future event.
  • noun accounting A liability or contra account to recognise likely future adverse events associated with current transactions.
  • noun law A clause in a legal instrument, a law, etc., providing for a particular matter; stipulation; proviso.
  • verb To supply with provisions.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a stipulated condition
  • verb supply with provisions
  • noun a store or supply of something (especially of food or clothing or arms)
  • noun the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening
  • noun the activity of supplying or providing something

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, forethought, from Latin prōvīsiō, prōvīsiōn-, from prōvīsus, past participle of prōvidēre, to foresee, provide for; see provide.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French provision.

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