afford

verb

af·​ford ə-ˈfȯrd How to pronounce afford (audio)
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
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 But having effective treatments and comprehensive care for people living with Long Covid is one thing; being able to afford them is another. Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 As a result, women are set up to make less than their male counterparts and be less equipped to afford their own retirement—a problem that is compounded by the fact that women, on average, live longer than men and so have more years of retirement to cover. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Golf has long had an image as a country club sport, and city courses are a vital outlet for those who can’t afford private memberships, with their five- and six-figure initiation fees. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Prom season marks the highlight of school dances for many students, but some struggle to afford dance attire. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 The housing struggles teachers face have become such a crisis that many school districts are trying to solve it by building apartments teachers can afford. USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 The longer this adjustment takes, the greater the wealth gap between current homeowners and young adults who can’t afford to buy a home. Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 In Sankuru, where the average month family income is equivalent to $100, children frequently die because their parents can’t afford medical care that costs what U.S. families would spend on a restaurant meal. Paul Law, STAT, 12 Mar. 2024 The adoption of this model—at every level of a firm—is difficult for many multinational companies to comprehend or even afford. Dean Debiase, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afford.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of afford was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near afford

Cite this Entry

“Afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afford. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

afford

verb
af·​ford ə-ˈfōrd How to pronounce afford (audio)
-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 How to pronounce afford (audio)
-ˈfȯrd-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on afford

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