Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Provision for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Provision" — noun, pronounced /prəˈvɪʒən/, with the stress on "viz".
Narrator: A provision is a supply of something needed, or a clause in a legal document.
Narrator: In plain English, provision can mean food and supplies for a journey, or a specific condition written into a contract.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin provisio, meaning foresight or preparation, from providere meaning to look ahead.
Narrator: "Provisions for the voyage" describes food, water and supplies packed for a long trip.
Narrator: It differs from supply because provision often implies foresight and preparation, whereas supply is a more general word for stock.
Narrator: "A provision in the contract" is a sense meaning a specific clause or condition agreed by the parties.
Narrator: Law, logistics, catering and contract drafting all rely on the word provision.
Narrator: So remember: a provision is a supply or a contract clause, from the Latin for foresight.
Speaker A: Can provision mean food and law at the same time?
Speaker B: Yes! PROVISION comes from the Latin provisio, meaning foresight, so it covers supplies prepared ahead and a clause looked ahead to in a contract.
Speaker A: So a ship's provisions are food?
Speaker B: Exactly — packed for the journey ahead!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "They packed provisions for a week"; "the contract has a privacy provision"; "the provision of care is a duty" — supplies, a clause and a service.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't use the s in provisions for a single clause, because a contract provision is singular, while provisions means supplies or multiple clauses.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: "Supply" the everyday cousin, "clause" the legal twin, "stipulation" the formal alternative. The word keeps its prepared charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "provision" in AI prompts — useful for contract-drafting tools and disaster-relief planners.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame a clause?
Speaker B: Right. For a legal app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short contract provision stating that a tenant must give thirty days' notice, naming one exception.
Speaker A: How about a relief tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to plan supplies:
Prompt: Draft a supply list for provisions needed by a shelter for fifty people over three days, naming five items.
Speaker A: Could it help with a policy bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame a duty:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences why the provision of clean water is a government duty, naming one measurable target.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a childcare chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short guide on the provision of free school meals, mentioning two eligibility criteria.
Provision — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary