afford

CEFRB1

/əˈfoɹd/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To have enough money, time, or ability to do something.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

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

Examples

  • Being only a student, I can't afford to get married.

  • You can't afford to neglect your health.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /əˈfɜ(r)ɖ/
  • /əˈfo(r)ɖ/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

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

  2. 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.

  3. To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.

More examples

In context

  • Can we afford a new car?

  • Alfred affords his goods cheaper than Bantock.

  • Grapes afford wine. Olives afford oil. The earth affords fruit. The sea affords an abundant supply of fish.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

With such high rent, they could not blank to buy a new car.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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”).