Dictionary

afford en · VERB

Pronunciation

• ə-fōrdʹ (General-American)
• /əˈfo(ː)ɹd/ rhotic
• (US) audio
• [əˈfo̞ɹd] (General-American)
• /əˈfo(r)ɖ/ (South-Asia)
• /əˈfɔːd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əˈfoəd/ non-rhotic
• /əˈfɜ(r)ɖ/ (South-Asia)
• /əˈfoɹd/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English afforthen, aforthen, avorthien, from earlier iforthen, iforthien, ȝeforthien, from Old English forþian, ġeforþian (“to further, accomplish, afford”), from Proto-Germanic *furþōną, from Proto-Germanic *furþą (“forth, forward”), equivalent to a- + forth. Cognate with Old Norse forða (“to forward oneself, save oneself, escape danger”), Icelandic forða (“to save, rescue”).

Meanings

1. To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; (usually after an expression of ability, as could, able, difficult) to be able or rich enough; to spare.
   • If a party member can afford the fee, then the syncophants^([sic]) will go to work. 1981, Wizardry: A Game of Fantasy and Adventure [user manual], Ryan Press, page 19:
   • I think we can afford the extra hour it will take.  We can only afford to buy a small car at the moment.
   • “[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic?[…]” 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
   • Ms Camisa and her husband have had to rejig their finances to afford tuition. 2021 November 20, “Answered prayers; Catholic schools are seeing increases in enrolment for the first time in years”, in The Economist, London, page 39:
   • Of course, no one called the fire department. No one would take on fire service fees just to save an unoccupied garage. Most of our households couldn’t afford another big bill, anyway. The water wasted on putting out the fire was going to be hard enough to pay for. 1993, Octavia Butler, chapter 4, in The Parable of the Sower:
2. (obsolete) To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting or expending, with profit, or without too great a loss.
   • Alfred affords his goods cheaper than Bantock.
3. (rare) To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.
   • The percentage of nutritive elements contained in the parsnip is very small; so small, indeed, that one pound of parsnips affords hardly one fifth of an ounce of nitrogenous or muscle-forming material. 1892, Ella Eaton Kellogg, “Vegetables”, in Science in the Kitchen: A Scientific Treatise on Food Substances and Their Dietetic Properties, Together with a Practical Explanation of the Principles of Healthful Cookery, and a Large Number of Original, Palatable, and Wholesome Recipes, Revised edition, Michigan: Health Publishing Company, page 243:
   • Grapes afford wine.  Olives afford oil.  The earth affords fruit.  The sea affords an abundant supply of fish.
4. To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.
   • The 2,800 h.p. Brush "Falcon" diesel-electric prototype Co-Co with two Bristol-Siddeley-Maybach high-speed engines will be afforded facilities for service trials on the G.N. main line when it makes its debut - in the autumn of this year, if construction proceeds according to schedule. 1960 June, “Motive Power Miscellany: Eastern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 376:
   • We continue through suburban Newcastle along the edge of the Tyne, before squealing around the tight curves onto the magnificent High Level bridge, which affords glorious views across Newcastle and along the river before arriving at journey's end. 2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 75:
   • Writing a “Treehouse of Horror” segment has to be both exhilarating and daunting. It’s exhilarating because it affords writers all the freedom in the world. 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
   • One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • A good life affords consolation in old age.
   • This was done, and in many cases still is done by the main-line railway groups, through the exercise of running powers, which on application to Parliament by the company using them have been granted for the express purpose of affording this access without the necessity for building independent tracks. In other cases, such running powers have been granted without recourse to Parliament, by voluntary agreement between the parties. 1940 May, “The Why and the Wherefore: Running Powers”, in Railway Magazine, page 318:

Forms

Deriveds

afforder · affordment · offer affordances · affordance · affordable · unafforded · affordability

Descendants

afordâ

Translations (86)

de imstande sein (to incur, stand, or bear) · nb tåle (to incur, stand, or bear) · be дазво́ліць сабе́ (to incur, stand, or bear) · fi olla varaa (to incur, stand, or bear) · es alcanzarle (to incur, stand, or bear) · sh приу̀штити (to incur, stand, or bear) · ja 供給する (to offer, provide, or supply) · pt agraciar (to offer, provide, or supply) · lv atļauties (to incur, stand, or bear) · sv ha råd (to incur, stand, or bear) · cs dovolovat si (to incur, stand, or bear) · it permettersi (to incur, stand, or bear) · sk dovoľovať si (to incur, stand, or bear) · da have råd til (to incur, stand, or bear) · ca permetre's (to incur, stand, or bear) · ru позволя́ть себе́ (to incur, stand, or bear) · ja ゆとりがある (to incur, stand, or bear) · es costear (to incur, stand, or bear) · fr offrir (to offer, provide, or supply) · de gewähren (to offer, provide, or supply) · cmn 提供 (to offer, provide, or supply) · ar أَعْطَى (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg давам (to provide; furnish) · cs dovolit si (to incur, stand, or bear) · fi tarjota (to give forth; to produce as a natural result) · uk надава́ти (to offer, provide, or supply) · ru позво́лить себе́ (to incur, stand, or bear) · de sich leisten (to incur, stand, or bear) · ru предоставля́ть (to offer, provide, or supply) · sk dopriavať si (to incur, stand, or bear) · es serle asequible/exequible (to incur, stand, or bear) · sv skänka (to provide; furnish) · fi tuottaa (to give forth; to produce as a natural result) · eo disponigi (to give forth; to produce as a natural result) · fi tarjota (to offer, provide, or supply) · sk dopriať si (to incur, stand, or bear) · sk dovoliť si (to incur, stand, or bear) · sv ge (to provide; furnish) · pt fornecer (to provide; furnish) · uk бу́ти спромо́жним (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg доста́вям (to offer, provide, or supply) · fi suoda (to give forth; to produce as a natural result) · ko 여유가 있다 (to incur, stand, or bear) · nb ha råd til (to incur, stand, or bear) · cmn 支付得起 (to incur, stand, or bear) · fi tarjota (to provide; furnish) · pl pozwolić sobie (to incur, stand, or bear) · da skænke (to provide; furnish) · uk нада́ти (to offer, provide, or supply) · cy fforddio (to incur, stand, or bear) · ar أَعْطَى (to offer, provide, or supply) · hsb sej dowolić (to incur, stand, or bear) · ru предоста́вить (to offer, provide, or supply) · hsb sej popřewać (to incur, stand, or bear) · hu módjában áll (to incur, stand, or bear) · eo disponigi (to offer, provide, or supply) · fr se permettre (to incur, stand, or bear) · hsb sej popřeć (to incur, stand, or bear) · ja 余裕がある (to incur, stand, or bear) · pt conseguir pagar (to incur, stand, or bear) · nl zich veroorloven (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg позволя́вам си (to incur, stand, or bear) · da give (to provide; furnish) · sco affuird (to incur, stand, or bear) · da tilbyde (to offer, provide, or supply) · fi suoda (to provide; furnish) · be дазваля́ць сабе́ (to incur, stand, or bear) · hu megengedheti magának (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg и́мам сре́дства да ку́пя (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg прина́сям (to offer, provide, or supply) · uk дозволя́ти собі́ (to incur, stand, or bear) · pt lidar (to incur, stand, or bear) · pl pozwalać sobie (to incur, stand, or bear) · fi antaa (to give forth; to produce as a natural result) · hsb sej dowolować (to incur, stand, or bear) · bg да́вам (to offer, provide, or supply) · es permitirse (to incur, stand, or bear) · nb skaffe (to offer, provide, or supply) · pt prover (to offer, provide, or supply) · sl si privoščiti (to incur, stand, or bear) · sv bereda (to provide; furnish) · da skaffe (to offer, provide, or supply) · ru быть в состоя́нии (to incur, stand, or bear) · sh priùštiti (to incur, stand, or bear) · cmn 付得起 (to incur, stand, or bear) · ja 与える (to offer, provide, or supply)