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Provide vs Cater - What's the difference?

provide | cater |

As verbs the difference between provide and cater

is that provide is to make a living; earn money for necessities while cater is to provide food professionally for a special occasion.

As a noun cater is

a provider; a purveyor; a caterer.

provide

English

Verb

(provid)
  • To make a living; earn money for necessities.
  • It is difficult to provide for my family working on minimum wage.
  • To act to prepare for something.
  • To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate.
  • The contract provides that the work be well done.
    I'll lend you the money, provided that you pay it back by Monday.
  • To give what is needed or desired, especially basic needs.
  • Don't bother bringing equipment, as we will provide it.
    We aim to provide the local community with more green spaces.
  • To furnish (with), cause to be present.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • Rome was well provided with corn.
  • To make possible or attainable.
  • He provides us with an alternative option.
  • * Milton
  • Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit / As the kind, hospitable woods provide .
  • (obsolete, Latinism) To foresee.
  • (Ben Jonson)
  • To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice before it is vacant. See provisor .
  • (Prescott)

    Derived terms

    * provider

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    cater

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To provide food professionally for a special occasion.
  • Did you hire someone to cater our party next week?
  • To provide things to satisfy a person or a need, to serve.
  • I always wanted someone to cater to my every whim.
    Derived terms
    * caterer * cater for * cater to

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A provider; a purveyor; a caterer.
  • Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To cut diagonally.
  • (Halliwell)

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The four of cards or dice.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

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