Provide vs. Supply

These two verbs are closely related but they differ in the scope of their meaning. Follow the lesson to learn about their difference.

What is the difference between 'provide' and 'supply'?

Both 'provide' and 'supply' mean to give someone something they want or need, or to make it available to them. However, 'supply' usually implies a regular act of making something available over a long period of time and in large quantities, while 'provide' is a more general term. This lesson will clarify the difference between these two verbs.

Difference in Scope

'Provide' generally means to give or make available something that is needed or desired. It involves offering something to fulfill a requirement, meet a need, or offer assistance. 'Provide' emphasizes the act of giving or making something accessible for use or consumption. 'Supply' also means to offer something, but it often implies a continuous or ongoing provision of large quantities of goods, resources, or services. 'Supply' emphasizes a steady flow or availability of something, often in response to demand or to meet requirements.

The company will provide laptops for all employees.

The organization provides food and shelter for the homeless.

The factory supplies materials to various construction sites.

The government is working to supply clean drinking water to remote villages.

'Supply' is not concerned with a one-time act of offering an item or service, it is continuous.

Tip!

You either provide/supply something to someone or provide/supply someone with something. 'Provide' and 'supply' are both ditransitive verbs that take a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase as direct and indirect objects. Take a look at the examples:

The organization provides educational resources to underprivileged children.

The organization provides underprivileged children with educational resources.

The store supplies the neighborhood with fresh products.

The store supplies fresh products to the neighborhood.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :

Recommended

Push vs. Shove

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
'Push' and 'shove' both mean to make something move forward, but they differ in the level of force use din the act. Follow the lesson for more details.

Explain vs. Describe

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
'Explain' and 'describe' are closely related in meaning but they differ in terms of purpose and context of use. This lesson will explore their differences.

Throw vs. Toss

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
'Throw' and 'toss' signify similar actions but they differ in terms of level of force used in the action. Follow the lesson to learn their difference.

Increase vs. Raise vs. Rise

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
All three verbs refer to numbers or amounts becoming larger, but they differ in their scope of usage and grammatical structures.

Reach vs. Arrive vs. Come

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
These verbs are synonyms but they emphasize different points and are grammatically different. Follow the lesson to learn their difference.

Appear vs. Emerge

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
'Appear' and 'emerge' are synonyms but they are used in different contexts. Follow the lesson to find out more about their difference.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app