afford (əˈfɔːd
)
Definitions
verb
- preceded by can, could, etc to be able to do or spare something, esp without incurring financial difficulties or without risk of undesirable consequences ⇒
we can afford to buy a small house
I can afford to give you one of my chess sets
we can't afford to miss this play
- to give, yield, or supply ⇒
the meeting afforded much useful information
Alternative Forms
afˈfordable adjective afˌfordaˈbility nounWord Origin
Old English geforthian to further, promote, from forth forth; the Old English prefix ge- was later reduced to a-, and the modern spelling (C16) is influenced by words beginning aff-Translations
- British English:
afford
If you cannot afford something, you do not have enough money to pay for it.We can't afford to pay the rent.əˈfɔːd VERB We can't afford to pay the rent.
- Spanish:
permitirse
v
- French: avoir les moyens de v
- German: leisten (sich) v
- Chinese: 付得起 v
- Arabic: قادِرٌ عَلَى دَفْعِ الـمال adj
- Portuguese: poder comprar v
- Russian: (быть в состоянии) позволить себе что-л. v
- Croatian: pružati v
- Czech: dovolit (si) v dovolovat (si)
- Danish: have råd til v
- Dutch: veroorloven v
- Finnish: olla varaa johonkin v
- Greek: έχω τα μέσα v
- Italian: potersi permettere v
- Japanese: ･･･する余裕がある v
- Korean: ...할 여유가 있다 v
- Norwegian: ha råd til v
- Polish: pozwolić sobie (na coś) v pozwalać sobie (na coś)
- Brazilian Portuguese: pagar vt
- European Spanish: poder permitirse v
- Swedish: ha råd med v
- Thai: สามารถหาได้ v
- Turkish: gücü yetmek v
- Vietnamese: đủ tiềm lực v
Usage examples
He is unlikely to be unemployed; he can afford a computer, he can afford to travel.
, THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)Login Advertisment Property Who can afford to join the country set?
Country Life (2004)More nights out One of the drawbacks of Irish affluence is that now more people than ever can afford to have more nights out.
Irish Times (2002)First-time buyers no longer want small, simple flats because they can afford the luxury of bigger and better ones.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Inclined to spend money on beautiful things that they cannot afford.
, THORSONS WAY OF - PALMISTRY (2002)