Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Care or preparation in advance; foresight.
  • noun Prudent management; economy.
  • noun The care, guardianship, and control exercised by a deity; divine direction.
  • noun God.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Foresight; timely care or preparation.
  • noun Frugality; prudence in the management of one's concerns; economy.
  • noun The care and guardianship of God over his creatures; divine supervision.
  • noun Hence [capitalized] God, regarded as exercising forecast, care, and direction for and over his creatures; the divine power and direction.
  • noun Something due to an act of providential intervention; an act or event in which the care of God is directly exhibited.
  • noun Synonyms and Prudence, Discretion, etc. See wisdom.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The prudent care and management of resources.
  • noun The careful guardianship exercised by a deity.
  • noun A manifestation of divine care or direction.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French providence, from Latin prōvidentia ("providence, foresight").

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Examples

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  • The H.M.S. Providence was listed as a "transport" captured at Yorktown in 1781. There were two vessels by this name, as follows, "Providence, Capt. Hunter, and Providence, Capt. Berriman."

    October 29, 2007

  • "Oh what providence, what divine intelligence, that you should survive as well as me." ~The Decemberists

    May 2, 2008

  • Matthew and Marilla said it was this that brought Anne to them.

    June 10, 2012