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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Church volunteers, who were accustomed to helping furnish and decorate apartments for new arrivals, now had to help prevent evictions. Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2025 Premium Apartments: For those seeking extended stays or additional space, fully furnished one-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes, balconies, and washers/dryers are available. Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 For those starting from scratch who are looking to furnish a full patio, snag the matching two-piece set that comes with a three-person sofa and coffee table for 64 percent off, as well as a three-piece version that’s 64 percent off. Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Refreshing your outdoor living space or furnishing a new one, though, can lead you down a whole rabbit hole of options. Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for furnish

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

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Cite this Entry

“Furnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furnish. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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
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