afford
be able to spare or give up
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,233 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 7,823 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- be able to spare or give up I can't afford to spend two hours with this person
- be the cause or source of also: yield, give He gave me a lot of troubleOur meeting afforded much interesting information
- have the financial means to do something or buy something We can't afford to send our children to collegeCan you afford this car?
- afford access to also: open, give the door opens to the patioThe French doors give onto a terrace
afford in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
I loved comfort, and I could afford to have it.
The Little Nugget · P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse · Chapter 1
-
II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?
John Marr and Other Poems · Herman Melville · Chapter 1
-
Mad indeed is he, Who does think he can trust thee, And take thy coin can afford.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
-
Many presented themselves as witnesses moreover, who came forward less to afford information than to gratify their curiosity.
The Lerouge Case · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
-
The terms of the lease in Chilian Legal English would probably "afford employment for the gentlemen of the long robe."
Punch — Volume 101, November 7, 1891 · Various · Chapter 1