Definitions for afford
əˈfɔrd, əˈfoʊrdaf·ford

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. afford(verb)

   be able to spare or give up

   "I can't afford to spend two hours with this person"

2. yield, give, afford(verb)

   be the cause or source of

   "He gave me a lot of trouble"; "Our meeting afforded much interesting information"

3. afford(verb)

   have the financial means to do something or buy something

   "We can't afford to send our children to college"; "Can you afford this car?"

4. afford, open, give(verb)

   afford access to

   "the door opens to the patio"; "The French doors give onto a terrace"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. afford(Verb)

   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.

2. afford(Verb)

   To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury.

3. afford(Verb)

   To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.

4. afford(Verb)

   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.

Origin: From afōrthen, geforðian, forðian, from forð. The prefix ge- has no well defined sense. See forth.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Afford(verb)

   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. Afford(verb)

   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 age

3. Afford(verb)

   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. Afford(verb)

   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

Origin: [OE. aforthen, AS. geforian, forian, to further, accomplish, afford, fr. for forth, forward. The prefix ge- has no well defined sense. See Forth.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Afford

   af-fōrd′, v.t. to yield or produce: to be able to sell, to expend, or to bear the expense of. [M. E. aforthen, from A.S. geforthian or forthian, to further or cause to come forth.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'afford' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2613

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'afford' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1014

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'afford' in Verbs Frequency: #381

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of afford in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of afford in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of afford in a Sentence

1. William LaPlante:

   How can we not afford it?

2. Musa Abdullahi:

   I cannot afford meat anymore.

3. Arif Chowdhury:

   They can't afford two phones.

4. Steve Scalise:

   We cannot afford to lose this one.

5. Bobby Tudor:

   Buyers can afford to be very picky.

Images & Illustrations of afford

Popularity rank by frequency of use