Etymology

provide

pro·vide
P3R1O1V4I1D2E1

Today it means: To make a living; earn money for necessities. Full definition →

Middle English providen ← Latin prōvidēre
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromprōvidēre“to foresee, act with foresight”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromproviden
  3. English todayprovide

Inherited from Middle English providen, from Latin prōvidēre (“to foresee, act with foresight”). Doublet of purvey.

Words from the same roots

Latinprōvidēre all →

purveyorpurveyproveditor

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.