afford

The word “afford” means to have enough money, time, or resources for something. In plain terms, to have the money, time, or safety margin needed to do something.

“Afford” is pronounced uh-FAWD (/əˈfoɹd/ in IPA).

Here is “afford” used in a sentence: “They finally saved enough to afford a house deposit.”

“Afford” is a verb.

The word “afford” comes from Old English. From Old English geforthian, "to further or accomplish" — ultimately related to the word "forth.".

“Afford” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Afford” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to have enough money, time, or resources for something.

To afford something is to have enough money, time, or resources to manage it without undue strain. It usually appears with 'can,' 'could,' or 'cannot,' as in 'we can afford a holiday this year.' It can also stretch beyond money, as in 'I can't afford to lose any more time.'

'Buy' means to actually purchase something. 'Afford' means to have the means to buy or do it, whether or not you go ahead. You can afford a car without buying one, and you cannot sensibly buy what you cannot afford. Afford is about capacity, while buy is about the action.

Yes. Besides money, it covers any resource you can spare, such as time, energy, or risk, as in 'she couldn't afford the delay.' More formally, it can mean to provide or give, as in 'the balcony affords a fine view.' Context makes clear which sense is meant.