afford

Meaning

1. To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; (usually after an expression of ability, as could, able, difficult) to be able or rich enough; to spare.
2. (obsolete) To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting or expending, with profit, or without too great a loss.
3. To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.
4. To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.

Synonyms

give

produce

accord

allow

yield

bear

🐻

provide

grant

administer

confer

permit

render

admit

spare

furnish

impart

donate

leave

lend

let

supply

bestow

offer

treat

open

hand over

incur

indicate

manage

pass

pass on

pay

💸

present

purvey

put out

quarter

quit

serve up

spend

stand

succeed

suggest

switch on

tender

turn on

underquote

volunteer

vouchsafe

will

be possible

by-bid

indue

make both ends meet

alight

allot

apply

assign

award

be able

bid

can

cater

deal

deliver

dispense

dispose

drive home

emerge

empower

endue

exit

extend

fasten

get along

gift

🎁

go

go out

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈfoɹd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: afforthen

Inherited from Old English: forþian

Cognate with Old Norse: forða

Cognate with Icelandic: forða

In summary

From Middle English afforthen, aforthen, avorthien, from earlier iforthen, iforthien, ȝeforthien, from Old English forþian, ġeforþian (“to further, accomplish, afford”), from Proto-Germanic *furþōną, from Proto-Germanic *furþą (“forth, forward”), equivalent to a- + forth. Cognate with Old Norse forða (“to forward oneself, save oneself, escape danger”), Icelandic forða (“to save, rescue”).