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n. 1. a. The act of providing or supplying something: the provision of health care; the provision of rations. b. The act of making preparations for a possible or future event or situation: The provision for retirement requires planning. 2. a. Something provided: A fire escape is an important provision in a building. b. provisions Necessary supplies, such as food and clothing, as for a journey. 3. A preparatory action or measure: We must make provisions for riding out the storm. 4. A particular requirement in a law, rule, agreement, or document: the constitutional provision concerned with due process. v. pro·vi·sioned, pro·vi·sion·ing, pro·vi·sions v.tr. To supply with provisions. v.intr. To take preparatory action or measures: A bank must provision against losses from bad loans. [Middle English, from Old French, forethought, from Latin prōvīsiō, prōvīsiōn-, from prōvīsus, past participle of prōvidēre, to foresee, provide for; see PROVIDE.] pro·vision·er n. |
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