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Afford vs Buy - What's the difference?

afford | buy |

As verbs the difference between afford and buy

is that afford is to incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious;—with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough while buy is to obtain (something) in exchange for money or goods.

As a noun buy is

something which is bought; a purchase.

afford

English

Alternative forms

* afoord, affoord, affoard, affowrd (obsolete)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious;—with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough.
  • :
  • *
  • *:“[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic?”
  • To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury.
  • :
  • To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.
  • :
  • To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.
  • :
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.}}
  • *{{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 29, author=Nathan Rabin
  • , title= TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992) , passage=Writing a “Treehouse Of Horror”segment has to be both exhilarating and daunting. It’s exhilarating because it affords writers all the freedom in the world.}}

    Usage notes

    * Sense 1. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Derived terms

    * affordable * affordance * offer affordances

    buy

    English

    Verb

  • To obtain (something) in exchange for money or goods
  • * Benjamin Franklin
  • Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou wilt sell thy necessaries.
  • To obtain by some sacrifice.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xxiii. 23
  • Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
  • To bribe.
  • To be equivalent to in value.
  • (informal) to accept as true; to believe
  • To make a purchase or purchases, to treat (for a meal)
  • (poker slang) To make a bluff, usually a large one.
  • Synonyms

    * purchase * (accept as true) accept, believe, swallow (informal), take on * make a buy

    Antonyms

    * sell, vend * (accept as true) disbelieve, reject, pitch

    Derived terms

    * bring-and-buy * buyable * buyer * buy back * buy into * buy it * buy to let * buy off * buy out * buy someone off * buy someone out * buy straw hats in winter * buy the farm * buy time * buy up * can I buy you a drink * impulse buy * money can't buy happiness * outbuy * rebuy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something which is bought; a purchase.
  • Antonyms

    * sale

    Derived terms

    * buydown * buyout * impulse buy