prepare

verb

pre·​pare pri-ˈper How to pronounce prepare (audio)
prepared; preparing

transitive verb

1
a
: to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity
prepare food for dinner
b
: to put in a proper state of mind
is prepared to listen
2
: to work out the details of : plan in advance
preparing a campaign strategy
3
a
: to put together : compound
prepare a prescription
b
: to put into written form
prepare a report

intransitive verb

: to get ready
preparing for a career
preparer noun

Examples of prepare in a Sentence

The teacher prepared the students for the test. Your room is being prepared now and should be ready soon. The nurses prepared the patient for surgery. Farmers are busy preparing the soil for planting. They'll be arriving soon. We don't have much more time to prepare. We don't have much more time to prepare ourselves for their arrival. She tried to prepare herself for bad news. The sailors are preparing themselves for a long voyage. The pharmacist prepared the prescription.
Recent Examples on the Web Seattle headquarters at the moment, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers prepare for the April 19 release of their 12th album, Dark Matter, and a supporting world tour kicking off May 4 in Vancouver. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024 Setup for Success Before the camera starts rolling, invest time preparing yourself and your environment. Ebony Flake, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 During the 2017 eclipse, California prepared for solar power outages, with state agencies urging people to cut back on power use during the event. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 As a scholarship kid at Vienna’s School of Arts and Crafts, Klimt impressed his teachers and prepared for a life spent painting big, history-burnishing murals for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 From gutter cleaning and preparing your fireplace for winter, to what to do if your basement floods. Contact us: Looking to buy your first home? Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 With pressure from boards, many CFOs are preparing to adopt generative AI, expecting to boost productivity across the enterprise but more gradually within the finance function. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 Photographer Dan Winters' wife, Kathryn Winters, helps Dan prepare for an interview. Anna Goldwater Alexander, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 The report, prepared in November by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, said only a small fraction of homeless people who were relocated from encampments had obtained permanent housing — and that hundreds simply moved back, in some cases more than were initially there. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prepare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English preparen, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French preparer, borrowed from Latin praeparāre "to furnish beforehand, put in a state of readiness," from prae- pre- + parāre "to supply, provide, make ready" — more at pare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of prepare was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near prepare

Cite this Entry

“Prepare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prepare. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prepare

verb
pre·​pare pri-ˈpa(ə)r How to pronounce prepare (audio)
-ˈpe(ə)r
prepared; preparing
1
: to make ready beforehand
prepared us for the news
prepare for a test
2
: to put together the elements of : compound
prepare a prescription
preparer noun

Medical Definition

prepare

transitive verb
prepared; preparing
1
: to make ready beforehand
prepare a patient for surgery
2
: to put together : compound
prepared a vaccine from live virus
prepared the doctor's prescription

More from Merriam-Webster on prepare

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