providence

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Care or preparation in advance; foresight.
2. n. Prudent management; economy.
3. n. The care, guardianship, and control exercised by a deity; divine direction: "Some sought the key to history in the working of divine providence” ( William Ebenstein).
4. n. God.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Foresight; timely care or preparation.
2. n. Frugality; prudence in the management of one's concerns; economy.
3. n. The care and guardianship of God over his creatures; divine supervision. The doctrine of divine providence is the doctrine that God both possesses and exercises absolute power over all the works of his hands; it thus differs from the doctrine of omnipotence, which only attributes to him the power, but does not necessarily imply that he uses it; and it is opposed to the doctrine of naturalism, or that nature is governed wholly by natural laws with which God never interferes.
4. n. Hence [capitalized] God, regarded as exercising forecast, care, and direction for and over his creatures; the divine power and direction.
5. n. Something due to an act of providential intervention; an act or event in which the care of God is directly exhibited.
6. n. Synonyms and Prudence, Discretion, etc. See wisdom.

Wiktionary

1. n. The prudent care and management of resources.
2. n. The careful guardianship exercised by a deity.
3. n. A manifestation of divine care or direction.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of providing or preparing for future use or application; a making ready; preparation.
2. n. Foresight; care; especially, the foresight and care which God manifests for his creatures; hence, God himself, regarded as exercising a constant wise prescience.
3. n. (Theol.) A manifestation of the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures; an event ordained by divine direction.
4. n. Prudence in the management of one's concerns; economy; frugality.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a manifestation of God's foresightful care for his creatures
2. n. the capital and largest city of Rhode Island; located in northeastern Rhode Island on Narragansett Bay; site of Brown University
3. n. the prudence and care exercised by someone in the management of resources
4. n. the guardianship and control exercised by a deity