provenance

noun

prov·​e·​nance ˈpräv-nən(t)s 

ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s

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

Poor provenance leads to weak training assumptions, brittle behavior, eroded trust, more friction and slower deployment, with each turn deepening the problem rather than correcting it. — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

The effort fits into a broader industry push around AI provenance. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Participants include major museums as well as collections with limited experience in provenance research. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Mario Tavella, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, said the estimate reflects the painting’s rarity, provenance and condition. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from provenir to come forth, originate, from Latin provenire, from pro- forth + venire to come — more at pro-, come

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1