Prepare Means to Make Ready Beforehand
To prepare is to get something ready in advance. The Latin combines before and make ready, which is the whole idea in two syllables.
To prepare is to make something ready before it is needed. The Latin says exactly that: *prae*, before, and *parare*, to make ready — the same *parare* behind *repair*, *apparatus* and *parade*. English keeps the sense of time built in: you cannot prepare after the event.
- To make ready. *Prepare the room.*
- To get yourself ready. *Prepare for the worst.*
- To make food. *Prepared to order.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | prepare | Prepare a report. |
| Past | prepared | Fully prepared. |
| Noun | preparation | Careful preparation. |
| Plural | preparations | Preparations are under way. |
| Adjective | preparatory | Preparatory work. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She prepared for the interview all week.Prepare for an event.
- Preparations are under way.Plural for the activities.
- Be prepared.The Scout motto, since 1907.
The make-ready family
- Prepare — make ready in advance
- Repair — make ready again, hence to mend
- Apparatus — things made ready for a purpose
- Parade — originally a display of readiness
- Rampart — from fortifying, the same root through French
From Latin *praeparare*, from *prae*, before, and *parare*, to make ready. English took it in the fifteenth century.
Prepare for or prepare to?
Prepare for a noun: prepare for the meeting. Prepare to plus a verb: prepare to leave.
Preparation or preparations?
Preparation is the process; preparations are the specific arrangements being made.