provenance

noun

prov·e·nance | \ ˈpräv-nən(t)s

How to pronounce provenance (audio)

, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s \

Definition of provenance

1 : origin, source

2 : the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature

Examples of provenance in a Sentence

Has anyone traced the provenances of these paintings? The artifact is of unknown provenance.

Recent Examples on the Web There’s a question about the provenance of some of the ballots, and others clearly run afoul of Iowa law. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Stop the Steal, for Real This Time," 26 Mar. 2021 The film tracks the long life of this sad-eyed cat avatar, featuring insights from a software-design manager named John Martin, who helped create it, and the current chief technology officer at Dell, who confirms its provenance. — Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, "The Anguish of the Feline Webcam Filter," 25 Mar. 2021 This allows information about the items and their provenance to travel with them throughout the entire product lifecycle – making eventual resale, reuse or disassembly and recycling faster, safer and more sustainable. — Niall Murphy, Forbes, "Is Sustainable Fashion Really Scalable?," 18 Mar. 2021 There is no certainty to be found in its innumerable theories about the provenance and meaning of biblical texts, only loose and fleeting concurrences of opinion. — Barton Swaim, WSJ, "‘A Most Peculiar Book’ Review: Why Read the Bible?," 16 Mar. 2021 Sampling and learning the provenance of these relative rarities makes for an entertaining and educational experience. — Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes, "This Dazzling Ritz-Carlton Reserve In Mexico Is The Perfect Spring Break Escape," 9 Mar. 2021 The Swedish royal family, known as the House of Bernadotte, has an enviable collection of jewels in their vaults, many of which boast an esteemed provenance. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "How Sweden's Royal Family Inherited the Stunning Cameo Parure from Napoleon's Wife," 27 Feb. 2021 But barn wood art, the latest farmhouse decor peppering your social media feeds, has a very specific and fascinating provenance: a community organizer in Adams County, Ohio. — Washington Post, "Farmhouse style’s latest iteration — barn wood art — traces its origins to quilt squares," 25 Nov. 2020 He was drawn to his most recent residence, a 900-square foot one-bedroom in Manhattan’s West Village, for its provenance and good bones. — Marni Katz, House Beautiful, "Kyle O'Donnell Creates an Artful Apartment That's Anything But Pretentious," 17 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'provenance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

6 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Provenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provenance. Accessed 16 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for provenance

provenance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of provenance

formal : the origin or source of something

See the full definition for provenance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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