provided

Provided is a word with multiple grammatical functions in English. As a verb, it is the past tense and past participle of provide, meaning to supply, furnish, or make available something. It appears in sentences like “The charity provided meals” and in participial phrases such as “the items provided by the supplier.”

As an adjective, provided describes items or information that have already been supplied, for example “the provided resources” or “the provided documents.” It can also modify a noun in a participial construction: “the materials provided by the donor.”

As a conjunction, provided introduces a condition and is most commonly used in the form “provided that,” meaning “on the condition that.” Example: “You may enter, provided that you sign the register.” In many contexts, “providing” can be used with the same sense, and the “that” is often optional: “provided you finish your homework” or “providing you finish your homework.” The “provided that” form is generally regarded as more formal.

Etymology: provided comes from the verb provide, which derives from Latin providere, meaning to foresee or to provide. Through Old French and Middle English, the word acquired the current senses of furnishing goods or services and of setting conditions.

Usage notes: The past participle and the conditional conjunction share a single root, but they occupy different grammatical roles. In formal or legal writing, “provided that” is common for setting terms, while everyday language often favors “providing” or simpler conditional phrases such as “as long as.”