furnish

verb

fur·​nish ˈfər-nish How to pronounce furnish (audio)
furnished; furnishing; furnishes

transitive verb

1
: to provide with what is needed
especially : to equip with furniture
The inn is beautifully furnished.
2
: supply, give
furnished food and shelter for the refugees
furnisher noun
Choose the Right Synonym for furnish

furnish, equip, outfit, appoint, accoutre mean to supply one with what is needed.

furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function.

a sparsely furnished apartment

equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use.

a fully equipped kitchen

outfit implies provision of a complete list or set of articles as for a journey, an expedition, or a special occupation.

outfitted the family for a ski trip

appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings.

a lavishly appointed apartment

accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity.

fully accoutred members of a polar expedition

Examples of furnish in a Sentence

The inn is beautifully furnished. He has enough money to furnish the apartment nicely. We'll furnish the food for the party. Can he furnish the information to us?
Recent Examples on the Web The store’s most common customers were families seeking to furnish a guest bedroom, Bauer said. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 His Black identity didn’t furnish much sense of community, either. Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 These advancements enable Wi-Fi 7 to manage the amplified load adeptly, thus furnishing a smart home ecosystem characterized by heightened reliability and responsiveness. Cristian Randieri, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The city has asked translators to furnish names that are transliterated, a process that more closely approximates English pronunciations. Amy Qin, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Arrest reports aren’t considered public documents in England, and when the family asked for a copy of Sharma’s criminal record the authorities declined to furnish one. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 The rooms at The Charles Hotel are furnished with historic pieces from all over New England and some offer views of the Charles River. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 Recent listings for the property posted to Zillow and Craigslist say the six-bedroom mansion is fully furnished and available for short- and long-term rentals for $27,000 a month. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 There’s the 14-seat Jade Bar in the lobby, furnished with velvet sofas and swathed in emerald-color stone. Laura May Todd, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'furnish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English furnisshen, from Anglo-French furniss-, stem of furnir, fournir to complete, equip, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German frummen to further, fruma advantage — more at foremost

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of furnish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near furnish

Cite this Entry

“Furnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furnish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

furnish

verb
fur·​nish ˈfər-nish How to pronounce furnish (audio)
1
: to provide with what is needed
the cave furnished us with shelter
especially : to provide with furniture
furnish an apartment
2
: to supply or give to someone or something
we'll furnish the food for the guests
furnisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on furnish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!