provision

See also: Provision and provisión

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvɪʒ.ən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pro‧vi‧sion

Noun

provision (countable and uncountable, plural provisions)

1. An item of goods or supplies, especially food, obtained for future use.
   • 1631, [Francis Bacon], “New Atlantis. A VVorke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] VVilliam Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], page 17, OCLC 1044372886:

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

   • 1674, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem in Twelve Books, 2nd edition, London: […] S[amuel] Simmons […], OCLC 563123917, page 307:

     [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: [...]

2. The act of providing, or making previous preparation.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

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

3. Money set aside for a future event.
4. (accounting) A liability or contra account to recognise likely future adverse events associated with current transactions.

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

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

   Synonyms: condition, stipulation

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

7. (Roman Catholicism) Regular induction into a benefice, comprehending nomination, collation, and installation.
8. (Britain, historical) A nomination by the pope to a benefice before it became vacant, depriving the patron of his right of presentation.
   • 1765, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, book I (Of the Rights of Persons), Oxford: […] Clarendon Press, OCLC 65350522:

     a papal provision

Translations

item of goods or supplies obtained for future use

• Armenian: պարեն (hy) (paren), մթերք (hy) (mtʿerkʿ)
• Azerbaijani: sursat, tədarük (az), azuqə (az) (food)
• Bulgarian: провизии (bg) f pl (provizii)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 配给 (zh)

• Dutch: provisie (nl)
• Finnish: eväs (fi) (food for short term such as work or picnic); muona (fi) (food);varasto (fi), varaus (fi), vara (fi) (other items)
• French: provision (fr) f
• Galician: provisión f
• German: Vorräte (de) m pl, (food) Proviant (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌻𐌳 n (andstald)
• Greek:

  Ancient: πόρος m (póros), ὀψώνιον n (opsṓnion)

• Hungarian: ellátmány (hu)

• Irish: lón m
• Italian: fornitura (it) f
• Japanese: 支給 (ja) (shikyū), 配給 (haikyū)
• Latin: penum n
• Maori: ō, ōmanapou, pōwhiriwhiri (for a journey), kamenga (applies only to food)
• Navajo: bidookįįłii
• Ngazidja Comorian: zawadi
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: skaffe (no), fremskaffelse m

• Plautdietsch: Väarot m
• Polish: zaopatrzenie (pl) n, prowiant (pl) m
• Portuguese: provisão (pt) f, mantimento (pt) m
• Romanian: provizie (ro) f
• Russian: снабже́ние (ru) n (snabžénije), провиа́нт (ru) m (proviánt)
• Sanskrit: खाद्य (sa) n (khādya)
• Spanish: provisión (es)
• Swedish: proviant (sv) c

act of providing

• Armenian: պարենավորում (parenavorum)
• Bulgarian: снабдяване (bg) n (snabdjavane), доставка (bg) f (dostavka)
• Finnish: varautuminen (fi)
• Irish: oirchill f

• Italian: disposizione (it) f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: levering m or f

  Nynorsk: levering f

• Occitan: provesiment m

money set aside

• Danish: hensættelse c
• Finnish: varaus (fi), vararahasto
• French: provision (fr) f
• German: Rücklagen (de) f pl

• Japanese: 準備高 (jyunbi-daka)
• Polish: zabezpieczenie (pl) n
• Portuguese: provisão (pt) f
• Russian: обеспече́ние (ru) n (obespečénije)

accounting: liability or contra account

• Finnish: varaus (fi)

law: clause in a legal instrument

• Bulgarian: условие (bg) n (uslovie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 條件 (zh), 條款 (zh)

• Dutch: bepaling (nl)

• Finnish: (in statutes) säännös (fi), (in contracts or non-governmental regulations) määräys (fi)
• Hebrew: תנאי‎ (he) m (tnay)
• Italian: clausola (it) f, norma (it) f, disposizione (it) f
• Swedish: bestämmelse (sv) c

Verb

provision (third-person singular simple present provisions, present participle provisioning, simple past and past participle provisioned)

1. (transitive) To supply with provisions.

   to provision an army

2. (transitive, computing) To supply (a user) with an account, resources, etc. so that they can use a system.

Synonyms

• supply
• victual

Related terms

• deprovision
• direct provision
• ground provisions
• provisional
• provisionings
• provide

Translations

to supply with provisions

• Armenian: պարենավորել (hy) (parenavorel)
• Estonian: hankima
• Finnish: muonittaa
• French: (only in the financial meaning) provisionner (fr)

• Japanese: 支給する (shikyū suru)
• Polish: zaopatrywać (pl)
• Portuguese: prover (pt), aprovisionar (pt), provisionar
• Spanish: aprovisionar (es), avituallar (es)

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Finnish

Noun

provision

1. Genitive singular form of provisio.

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French

Etymology

From Latin prōvīsiō (“preparation, foresight”), from prōvidēre (“provide”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.vi.zjɔ̃/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

provision f (plural provisions)

1. provision

Derived terms

• approvisionner
• chèque sans provision

Further reading

• “provision” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• poivrions

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Louisiana Creole French

Etymology

From French provision (“provision”).

Noun

provision

1. provision

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Middle English

Noun

provision

1. Alternative form of provisioun