provide for
phrasal verbprovide for somebody
- to give somebody the things that they need to live, such as food, money and clothing
- She has three children to provide for.
- He didn’t provide for them in his will (= did not leave them any money).
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provide for something (formal)
- to make preparations to deal with something that might happen in the future
- The original system did not provide for this sudden increase in demand.
- (of a law, rule, etc.) to make it possible for something to be done
- The legislation provides for the detention of suspected terrorists for up to seven days.