provenance
noun
prov·e·nance
| \ ˈpräv-nən(t)s
, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\
, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\
Definition of provenance
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
Anthropologists have known about Roopkund Lake for several decades, but little was known about the provenance of its skeletons. — Robin George Andrews, New York Times, "The Mystery of the Himalayas’ Skeleton Lake Just Got Weirder," 26 Aug. 2019 According to Heritage Auctions, the jersey came with a letter of provenance from Noble and his 1979 Punahou yearbook. — Doblado Dennis, ajc, "Basketball high school jersey worn by Barack Obama sells for $120K," 19 Aug. 2019 Included in the lot is a letter of provenance from Noble and his 1979 Punahou School yearbook. — Allen Kim, CNN, "President Obama's high school basketball jersey nets $120,000 at auction," 19 Aug. 2019 That distance tells astronomers a lot about the provenance of FRBs: To see such a brief signal, so bright, from so far away, would require an extremely energetic source. — Yvette Cendes, Discover Magazine, "What Are FRBs? The Discovery of Mysterious Signals From the Cosmos," 7 Feb. 2019 How much do customers care about the provenance of their shoes? — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Does ‘Made in America’ Still Matter? Footwear Brand Allen Edmonds is About to Find Out," 24 Sep. 2018 Other spirits, whether gin, vodka or rum, were mostly imported—an unlikely scenario in a country so fastidious about the provenance and quality of its food and drink. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Come to Kyoto for the Sake, Stay for the Gin," 17 Aug. 2018 The Hallwang Clinic did not address my specific questions about the provenance and production of its immunotherapy vaccines. — Lindsay Gellman, Longreads, "The Last Resort," 22 Mar. 2018 An excellent audio guide accompanies you on your visit, sharing humorous stories and explaining the provenance of interesting objects. — Kaitlin Menza, Town & Country, "The Best Things to Do in Valparaiso, Chile," 23 July 2019These 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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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