Learn English – “provide X to someone” vs “provide X for someone”

phrasal-verbsprepositionstransitive-verbs

I am confused by the different explanations in the following two dictionaries.

Macmillan says “provide A to B”, while The Free Dictionary says it is wrong and tells us not to say “provide A to B”, insisting that we not use any prepositions except FOR. That is why I am much confused.

Which of the two is GRAMMATICALLY correct in the States and Britain regardless of whether it is used or not in daily life? And could you suggest any authentic sources about this?

  • We provide legal advice and services to our clients. (Macmillan)

  • The animals provide food for their young. (TFD)
    Be Careful!
    Don't use any preposition except for in sentences like these.
    Don't say, for example 'The animals provide food to their young'.

Best Answer

One can provide [basically] any X to Y.

However, "provide food for their young" means specifically: care for them by giving them food.

We even have an idiom based on that:

This provides food for thought.

  • Parents provide for their children.

To provide for=to sustain or support physically or financially or in some other way that does not just mean to give or supply.

whereas: provide x to y just means: supply or give x to y.

There is also the idea of make provision for [arrange for]:

  • The will provided for their upkeep.

The will had a provision that set out a sum of money to do towards upkeep,of, say, properties.

provide for=care for in some way provide [x] to=give or supply with no idea of "caring for" or "taking care of" as in being physically or financially responsible for.

  • That man always provided for his family. [financially supported]
  • That man always provided funds to his community organization. [gave funds or made funds available to]
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