furnish

verb

fur·​nish ˈfər-nish How to pronounce furnish (audio)
furnished; furnishing; furnishes

transitive verb

1
: to provide with what is needed
especially : to equip with furniture
The inn is beautifully furnished.
2
: supply, give
furnished food and shelter for the refugees
furnisher noun
Choose the Right Synonym for furnish

furnish, equip, outfit, appoint, accoutre mean to supply one with what is needed.

furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function.

a sparsely furnished apartment

equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use.

a fully equipped kitchen

outfit implies provision of a complete list or set of articles as for a journey, an expedition, or a special occupation.

outfitted the family for a ski trip

appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings.

a lavishly appointed apartment

accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity.

fully accoutred members of a polar expedition

Examples of furnish in a Sentence

The inn is beautifully furnished. He has enough money to furnish the apartment nicely. We'll furnish the food for the party. Can he furnish the information to us?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Photo : The Charlie Attias Team One of the secondary bedrooms is furnished as a den. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2025 Casting is an expensive multistep process, though, and the same factories can furnish façades for new construction by the more straightforward technique of extrusion, yielding handsome but less ornate panels. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Mar. 2025 For Fedir, sitting next to Yakiv in the airbase in the east of England furnishing the Ukrainians with a first burst of flight training, the motivation came at a younger age. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025 The suite features a king-sized bed, floor to ceiling windows and a fully furnished wraparound terrace with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Miami skyline. Roger Sands, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for furnish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English furnisshen, from Anglo-French furniss-, stem of furnir, fournir to complete, equip, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German frummen to further, fruma advantage — more at foremost

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of furnish was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Furnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furnish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

furnish

verb
fur·​nish ˈfər-nish How to pronounce furnish (audio)
1
: to provide with what is needed
the cave furnished us with shelter
especially : to provide with furniture
furnish an apartment
2
: to supply or give to someone or something
we'll furnish the food for the guests
furnisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on furnish

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