Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Afford
Af-ford′
(ăf-fōrd′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Afforded
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Affording
.] [OE.
aforthen
, AS. geforðian
, forðian
, to further, accomplish, afford, fr. forð
forth, forward. The prefix ge-
has no well defined sense. See Forth
.] 1.
To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue;
as, grapes
afford
wine; olives afford
oil; the earth affords
fruit; the sea affords
an abundant supply of fish.2.
To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish;
as, a good life
. affords
consolation in old ageHis tuneful Muse
affords
the sweetest numbers. Addison.
The quiet lanes . . .
afford
calmer retreats. Gilpin.
3.
To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury;
as, A
affords
his goods cheaper than B; a man can afford
a sum yearly in charity.4.
To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; – with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough.
The merchant can
afford
to trade for smaller profits. Hamilton.
He could
With those whom he saw suffer.
afford
to sufferWith those whom he saw suffer.
Wordsworth.
Webster 1828 Edition
Afford
AFFO'RD
,Verb.
T.
1.
To yield or produce as fruit, profit, issues, or result. Thus, the earth affords grain; a well affords water; trade affords profit; distilled liquors afford spirit.2.
To yield, grant or confer; as, a good life affords consolation in old age.3.
To be able to grant or sell with profit or without loss; as, A can afford wine at a less price than B.4.
To be able to expend without injury to one's estate; as, a man can afford a sum yearly in charity; or be able to bear expenses, or the price of the thing purchased; as, one man can afford to buy a farm, which another cannot.5.
To be able without loss or with profit.The merchant can afford to trade for smaller profits.
Definition 2024
afford
afford
English
Alternative forms
Verb
afford (third-person singular simple present affords, present participle affording, simple past and past participle afforded)
- To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious;—with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough.
- I think we can afford the extra hour it will take. We can only afford to buy a small car at the moment.
- 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:
- “[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic? […]”
- To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury.
- A affords his goods cheaper than B. A man can afford a sum yearly in charity.
- To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.
- Grapes afford wine. Olives afford oil. The earth affords fruit. The sea affords an abundant supply of fish.
- To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.
- A good life affords consolation in old age.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 4, in The Celebrity:
- One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.
- 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the title of the work):
- Writing a “Treehouse of Horror” segment has to be both exhilarating and daunting. It’s exhilarating because it affords writers all the freedom in the world.
Usage notes
- Sense 1. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Derived terms
Translations
to incur, stand, or bear
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to offer, provide, or supply
to give forth; to produce as a natural result
to provide; furnish