Provisor, a purveyor; also one who sued to the Court of Rome for a provision or prearrangement that a particular benefice when it should fall vacant should be bestowed, for an immediate payment by the provisor, on a particular person.
Various statutes, called generally 'Statutes of Pro-visors,' were passed in ancient times to suppress such persons in 25 Hen. 8, c. 20, s. 7, the first and most important of them, 25 Edw. 3, st. 5, c. 22, is called 'the Statute of the Provision and Pr'munire.' See PRAEMUNIRE.