Definition of “provide” - English Dictionary

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“provide” in English

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provideverb

uk ​ /prəˈvaɪd/ us ​ /prəˈvaɪd/

provide verb (SUPPLY)

B1 [ T ] to give someone something that they need:

This booklet provides useful information about local services.
All meals are provided at no additional cost.
The author provides no documentary references to support her assertions.
We have concerns about whether the government will be able to provide viable social services for poorer families/provide poorer families with viable social services.
Putting more police on patrol doesn't provide a real solution to the problem of increasing violence.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Phrasal verb(s)

provide against sth
provide for sb
provide for sth

(Definition of “provide” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“provide” in American English

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provideverb

us ​ /prəˈvɑɪd/

provide verb (GIVE)

› [ T ] to give something that is needed or wanted to someone:

The company provides medical benefits to all employees.
I can provide you with directions to their house.

provide verb (STATE)

› (of a law or contract) to state that something must happen or be done:

[ I ] The new statute provides for life imprisonment without parole.
[ + that clause ] Many loan agreements provide that the interest rate will change.

Phrasal verb(s)

provide for someone

(Definition of “provide” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“provide” in Business English

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provideverb [ T ]

uk ​ /prəʊˈvaɪd/ us ​ /prəˈvaɪd/

› to give something to a person, company, or organization, or to make it available for them to use:

The government has pledged to provide over $1 billion in refinancing.
provide sb with sth Customers, suppliers, and contractors will be provided with the specialist training they need to work on the project.
provide sth for sb/sth The enhanced cashflow will also provide funds for expansion into television.
provide sth to sb Our digital imaging centre provides a 3D scanning service to a wide range of customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
be provided by sb/sth According to Census data provided by the state Department of Labor and Industry, Hispanic workers constitute about 3% of the work force.

› to produce something useful that can be used as part of a process or activity:

A well-established management process should provide a framework for the integration of all business units and operations.
It is hoped that the proposed 10-day sales-tax holiday will provide a boost to retail sales.
provide an opportunity/advantage/basis
provided that

› if, or only if:

ILO conventions allow schoolchildren to work during their holidays and free time provided that strict safety measures are taken.
provide that

› LAW a law or rule that provides that something must happen states officially that it must happen:

Rule 222-2 provides that all notices of shareholder meetings shall be sent to shareholders not less than seven days before the date of the meeting.

Phrasal verb(s)

provide against sth
provide for sth
provide for sb

(Definition of “provide” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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provide

They provide substantial support for local communities.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Secondly, the rules should also apply to ships of less than 12 metres in order to provide better protection for young hake.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
In practice this would mean that badly organised sectors or those that provide opportunities for 'free riding' would not be suitable for inclusion in any voluntary agreement.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Reversion pensions provide for surviving spouses.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
The common position includes mandatory labelling, but states also that these substances could be exempted in the future, should scientific evidence provide justification for such action.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Attention was focused on economic growth, but the importance of the fair distribution of wealth that this growth should provide was overlooked.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Where our own policy is concerned, we need to adjust the economic regulations so that we provide sufficient positive incentives for the far more efficient management of energy and materials.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
We must also provide our own training.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Is it going to use it in order to provide answers that restore developing countries' confidence, or will it go no further than a narrow vision of its commercial interests?
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I await with interest the result of the field trials currently being carried out in my own country, to see whether they provide any evidence on the effects of biodiversity.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
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