Other forms: afforded, affords, affording
To afford something is to have enough money for it. I cannot afford a new one. Can you afford the rent?
It almost always appears with can, could or be able to — afford on its own is rare and sounds odd. It is not used in the continuous. Beyond money, it covers anything you have enough of: afford the time, afford to wait, cannot afford to lose. And there is a formal sense meaning to provide: the window affords a fine view, which is a written register and worth recognising even if never used. The adjective is affordable, which is a favourite of estate agents everywhere.
1verbaffordTo have enough money for something.
“They could not afford to run two cars.”
synonyms: manage, stretch to
2verbtimeTo have enough time, or be able to risk something.
“We cannot afford another delay.”
3verbuseIn formal use, to provide or give.
“The roof affords a view of the whole city.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
afford is a way of having enough.
Old English forthian meant to further or accomplish. The modern meaning came by way of being able to accomplish a purchase, and the a- at the front was added later by analogy with words like arise and awake.
Proto-Germanic
*furþōną
Old English
forþian
Middle English
afforthen
English, today
afford
Built from
From Middle English afforthen, aforthen, avorthien, from earlier iforthen, iforthien, ȝeforthien, from Old English forþian, ġeforþian (“to further, accomplish, afford”), from Proto-Germanic furþōną, from Proto-Germanic furþą (“forth, forward”), equivalent to a + forth. Cognate with Old Norse forða (“to forward oneself, save oneself, escape danger”), Icelandic forða (“to save, rescue”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA