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provenance

Syllabification: (prov·e·nance)
Pronunciation: /ˈprävənəns/

Definition of provenance

noun

  • the place of origin or earliest known history of something:an orange rug of Iranian provenance
  • the beginning of something’s existence; something’s origin:they try to understand the whole universe, its provenance and fate
  • a record of ownership of a work of art or an antique, used as a guide to authenticity or quality:the manuscript has a distinguished provenance

Origin:

late 18th century: from French, from the verb provenir 'come or stem from', from Latin provenire, from pro- 'forth' + venire 'come'

provenance in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of provenance in the British & World English dictionary
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