victual: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Archaic, Nautical, Historical
Quick answer
What does “victual” mean?
To provide with or take in food or provisions.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To provide with or take in food or provisions.
Food or provisions, especially for an army, ship, or expedition; the act of supplying or obtaining food.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK often doubles the 'l' in inflections (victualler, victualling). US tends to use a single 'l' (victualer, victualing). Both are accepted, but UK standard favours the double 'l'.
Connotations
In the UK, the term retains stronger nautical/historical institutional usage (e.g., Victualling Yards, Victualling Office). In the US, it is rarer and carries an even stronger archaic/formal flavour.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech in both dialects. Higher frequency in historical novels, maritime contexts, or legal/historical documents. US frequency is marginally lower.
Grammar
How to Use “victual” in a Sentence
to victual + [direct object: ship/fort/army]to be victualled + [with/by something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “victual” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The navy sent a ship to victual the remote garrison.
- The innkeeper was licensed to victual passing troops.
American English
- The expedition took a week to victual itself before the trek.
- They had to victual the fort before the siege began.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable (no standard adverbial form).
American English
- Not applicable (no standard adverbial form).
adjective
British English
- The victualling yard was a hive of activity.
- He held a victualling licence for the port.
American English
- The victualing depot was located upriver.
- They reviewed the victualing requirements for the voyage.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in modern business. Historical context: victualling contracts.
Academic
Used in historical, maritime, or military history texts.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Would be recognised as an archaic/humorous term.
Technical
Used in historical reenactment, sailing (traditional), and certain legal/historical documents.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “victual”
- Pronouncing the 'c' as /k/.
- Spelling as 'vittle' (though this is an accepted phonetic historical variant).
- Using it in modern casual contexts where 'food' or 'provisions' is appropriate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It entered English via Anglo-Norman French 'vitaile' from Late Latin 'victualia'. The Middle English spelling was 'vitaylle' or 'vytayl'. The 'c' was later reintroduced to reflect the Latin root 'victus' (nourishment), but the original French pronunciation without the /k/ sound remained.
Yes, 'vittle' is a recognised, chiefly dialectal or historical phonetic spelling of 'victual'. However, 'victual' is the standard modern spelling, especially in formal or technical contexts.
Rarely. It is almost exclusively used in the plural form 'victuals' to mean 'food supplies'. Using it as a singular countable noun ('a victual') is highly archaic and not standard in modern usage.
A victualler is a person or company licensed to supply food and provisions, especially to ships or military forces. In UK history, it also referred to the keeper of a pub or inn that provided meals.
To provide with or take in food or provisions.
Victual is usually formal, archaic, nautical, historical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None common; phrase 'victuals and drink' is a fixed historical collocation.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "The VICTUALS for the VICTORS in the battle were stored in the VICTUALLING warehouse." The silent 'c' is a common trap.
Conceptual Metaphor
FOOD IS FUEL FOR A JOURNEY / MISSION.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'victual' MOST likely to be found?