prepare

verb

pre·​pare pri-ˈper 

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

Synonyms

• fit
• fix
• groom
• lay
• prep
• ready

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

But a fight in the Pacific is not the only scenario the United States must be prepared for (and, ideally, deter), and readiness in other arenas will require addressing other deficiencies. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

In a nighttime video, a group of men is seen blocking traffic on a highway and slicking the roadway to prepare for the race. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Absentee ballots take longer to process than ballots cast in-person due to the additional steps involved after a voter returns their absentee ballot to verify and log the ballot, and then prepare it for tabulation. —Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024

There is a great deal of uncertainty looming over this Election Day, but this much is 100 percent beyond doubt: Steve Kornacki, master of the MSNBC Big Board, is prepared for the moment. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

prepare

verb

pre·​pare pri-ˈpa(ə)r 

-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

pre·​pare pri-ˈpa(ə)r, -ˈpe(ə)r 

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