Definitions for afford
əˈfɔrd, əˈfoʊrdaf·ford

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. affordverb

   be able to spare or give up

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

2. yield, give, affordverb

   be the cause or source of

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

3. affordverb

   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, giveverb

   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. affordverb

   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. affordverb

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

3. affordverb

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

4. affordverb

   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.

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

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To Affordverb

   Etymology: affourrer, affourrager, Fr.

   1. To yield or produce; as, the soil affords grain; the trees afford fruits. This seems to be the primitive signification.2. To grant, or confer any thing; generally in a good sense, and sometimes in a bad, not properly.

   So soon as Maurmon there arrived, the door
   To him did open, and afforded way. Fairy Queen.

   This is the consolation of all good men, unto whom his ubiquity affordeth continual comfort and security; and this is the affliction of hell, to whom it affordeth despair and remediless calamity. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. i. c. 2.

   3. To be able to sell. It is used always with reference to some certain price; as, I can afford this for less than the other.

   They fill their magazines in times of the greatest plenty, that so they may afford cheaper, and increase the public revenue at a small expence of its members. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

   4. To be able to bear expences; as, traders can afford more finery in peace than war.

   The same errours run through all families, where there is wealth enough to afford that their sons may be good for nothing. Jonathan Swift, on Modern Education.

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

1. Affordverb

   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. Affordverb

   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. Affordverb

   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. Affordverb

   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

5. Etymology: [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(1.00 / 1 vote)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.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. afford

   To have the money within a budget to buy or pay.

   They were able to afford to put money in the bank for savings every month.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 4, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Spend
   • Supply

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

How to pronounce afford?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say afford in sign language?

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. Thomas Massie:

   My constituents are feeling the maleffects of inflation. The price of food and the price of fuel is going up. It’s permanent. It’s not going to go back down, and I’m worried that it’s going to get worse, i’m worried that Joe Biden may try to push through this Democratic congress another stimulus package or COVID packages, and Americans can’t afford another one of those COVID packages.

2. Benjamin Franklin:

   Five thousand balloons, capable of raising two men each, could not cost more than five ships of the line; and where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense as that 10,000 men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them?

3. Musa Abdullahi:

   I cannot afford meat anymore.

4. Joanna Kerr:

   We can’t afford to be cautious. People should have a sense of anger.

5. Herbert Diess:

   Owning a car is for many people part of having a higher quality of life. We need to ensure that even middle and lower income families can afford an electric car.

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