afford

verb

af·​ford ə-ˈfȯrd 

afforded; affording; affords

transitive verb

1

a

: to manage to bear without serious detriment

You can't afford to neglect your health.

b

: to be able to bear the cost of

can't afford to be out of work long

2

: to make available, give forth, or provide naturally or inevitably

The sun affords warmth to the earth.

a delay that will afford us more time

Synonyms

• go
• swing

Choose the Right Synonym for afford

give, present, donate, bestow, confer, afford mean to convey to another as a possession.

give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms

gave her a ride on a pony

give my love to your mother

present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade

a development that affords us some hope

Examples of afford in a Sentence

We were too poor to afford a doctor.

He'll be able to afford a house next year.

Don't spend more than you can afford.

They couldn't afford new coats for the children.

We can afford waiting a while longer.

All of the rooms afford views of the lake.

He was afforded the opportunity to work for a judge.

Recent Examples on the Web

With one of the most narrow House majorities in modern times, Johnson can only afford to lose a single vote or two from his Republican ranks to pass any bill. —Stephen Groves, arkansasonline.com, 20 Apr. 2024

Although the famous sculptures of the Parthenon, the Elgin Marbles, are controversially still held at the British Museum in London, the Parthenon still affords views of ancient sculptures, particularly on the east pediment. —David Unsworth, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024

His restrictive covenants would block a buyer who couldn’t afford a large house or top-line construction. —Jeremy Lechtzin, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

The luxury automaker has become the first in the nation to start selling self-driving cars—at least those that afford riders a hands-free experience—to regular consumers. —Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024

Jennifer tried to explain that the family couldn't afford a headstone. —Steve Hartman, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024

Many economists still expect that mortgage rates will ease modestly this year, which could give homebuyers who can’t afford to pay all cash for a home more purchasing power. —Alex Veiga, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024

Many of the families could not afford to buy new books. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024

The biggest beneficiaries of AI will be small- and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford big teams to create and maintain sophisticated defenses. —Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

respelling (after Latin borrowings with initial aff-) of Middle English iforthen, aforthen, going back to Old English geforðian "to send out, promote, carry out," from ge-, perfective prefix + forðian "to send out, promote," verbal derivative of forþ "forth, forward" — more at com-, forth entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing afford

• ill afford

Kids Definition

afford

verb

af·​ford ə-ˈfōrd 

-ˈfȯrd

1

: to be able to do or to bear without serious harm

you can't afford to waste your strength

2

: to be able to pay for

unable to afford a new car

3

: to supply one with : provide, furnish

tennis affords good exercise

affordable

-ˈfōrd-ə-bəl 

-ˈfȯrd-

adjective