What Does the Word Provision Mean?

Provision can be used as a noun or verb in various specialized and general contexts. In common usage, as well as in legal and religious usage, provision tends to involve giving or having resources.

Noun

As a noun, provision means the act of providing something as well as the materials provided. For example, a provision or provisions can be used to describe food that has been given or the actual act of giving the food. Provision can also be used to mean a preparatory action that has been taken in advance.

Verb

To provision simply means to provide someone or something with provisions. You might provision a food bank with your extra bag of groceries, for example.

Law

In legal terms, a provision is a clause written into a contract or law that requires certain previously arranged conditions to be met. A provision might also be referred to as a proviso or a stipulation in legal contexts.

Religion

In the Catholic religion, a provision is used as a noun to describe an induction or nomination to a benefice, usually made by the pope before the benefice became vacant. More generally, a provision can simply mean an appointment to a religious post.

History

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, provision comes from the Latin provisionem or provisio. It was first used in the late 1300s to mean, "providing beforehand," particularly with regard to religious appointments made before the position was vacant. It has been used to mean, "something provided" since the late 1400s and has been used as a verb since the early 1800s.

References

• Dictionary.com: Definition of Provision
• ARDictionary.com: Definitions of Provision
• Online Etymology Dictionary: Definition of Provision