Provision
/prəˈvɪʒ.ən/
A provision is the act of supplying or arranging for something needed, especially in advance, or a specific clause in a legal document that ensures certain conditions are met.
Examples
- The city's disaster provision plan was put into action.
- They failed to provision the remote site with enough fuel.
- Emergency provisions were distributed to the flood victims.
- The school made provision for students with disabilities.
- The insurance policy includes provision for unforeseen events.
Meanings
Derived from the Latin providere, combining pro- (in advance) and videre (to see), so literally 'seeing ahead'. Over time, it evolved from the idea of foresight to the act of preparing or supplying what is needed.
Examples
- The contract includes a provision for annual salary increases.
- Emergency provisions were distributed to the flood victims.
- The school made provision for students with disabilities.
- They failed to provision the remote site with enough fuel.
- The law contains a special provision for environmental protection.
Rooted in the idea of foresight (providere), this meaning emphasizes planning ahead, especially for uncertain or future events.
Examples
- The city's disaster provision plan was put into action.
- No provision had been made for power outages.
- She took every provision to ensure her safety.
- The team provisioned for all possible technical failures.
- The insurance policy includes provision for unforeseen events.