afford
afford Lexical Profile
afford Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To have enough money, time, or resources to buy, pay for, or do something.
"Many young families cannot afford to buy a home in the city center."
To be able to do something or allow something to happen without risking serious adverse consequences.
"With the championship on the line, the team cannot afford to make any careless mistakes."
To provide, supply, or yield a particular opportunity, benefit, or result (used in formal contexts).
"The rooftop terrace affords a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains."
Word Nuance & Usage
In its financial and consequence-related senses, 'afford' is almost exclusively preceded by a modal verb such as 'can', 'could', or 'be able to', particularly in negative or interrogative clauses. When used in the formal sense of 'to provide or supply', it occurs freely in standard declarative tenses without a modal.
• Rhymes for afford
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'geforthian', meaning 'to further, promote, or accomplish', derived from 'forth' (forward); the prefix shifted to 'a-' in the 16th century by false association with Latinate prefixes like 'ad-'.