prōvĭdentĭa, ae, f. [provideo]. I.Foresight, foreknowledge: providentia est, per quam futurum aliquid videtur ante quam factum sit, Cic. Inv. 2, 53, 160: timoris tormentum memoria reducit, providentia anticipat, Sen. Ep. 5, 9.—II.Foresight, forethought, forecast, precaution, providence (cf. prudentia): deorum providentiā mundum administrari, Cic. Div. 1, 51, 117; cf. id. N. D. 1, 8, 18; 2, 22, 58; Quint. 11, 1, 23: alterum ex providentiā timorem afferre solet, Sall. J. 7, 5: plurimum tibi et usus et providentiae superest, Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 9: jam te providentia deorum primum in locum provexerat, id. Pan. 10, 4.—With object. gen.: neque feriendi neque declinandi providentia, Tac. H. 4, 29: providentia filiorum suorum, Dig. 33, 1, 7 fin.—In plur.: agnosce bonitatem dei ex providentiis, Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 4 fin.—B.Transf.1.The government of the world by infinite wisdom and foresight, providence (post-class.): tua, Pater, providentia gubernat, Vulg. Sap. 14, 3; id. Act. 24, 2.—2.Providence, as a designation of the Deity (post-Aug.): vis illum (deum) providentiam dicere? recte dices, Sen. Q. N. 2, 45, 2: oratio, quā nihil praestantius homini dedit providentia, Quint. 1, 10, 7; 1, 12, 19; 6 praef. 4; 5, 12, 19; 10, 1, 109; 12, 1, 2; App. M. 6, p. 179, 12.—3. Providentia, Providence, personified as a goddess, a transl. of the Gr. *pro/noia, Macr. S. 1, 17.
prō-vĭdĕo, vīdi, vīsum, 2, v. n. and a.I.Neutr.A.Lit., to see forwards or before one's self, to see in the distance, to discern, descry (very rare): ubi, quid petatur, procul provideri nequeat, Liv. 44, 35, 12.— B.Trop.1.To be provident or cautious, to act with foresight, to take care (rare but class.; syn. praecaveo): actum de te est, nisi provides. Cic. Fam. 9, 18, 4; id. Rab. Post. 1, 1: nisi providisses, tibi ipsi pereundum fuisset, id. Verr. 2, 1, 61, 157.—2.To see to, look after, care for; to provide, make preparation or provision for any thing (freq. and class.); constr. absol., with dat., de, ut, ne: multum in posterum providerunt, quod, etc., Cic. Agr. 2, 33, 91: nihil me curassis, ego mihi providero, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 93: rei frumentariae, Caes. B. G. 5, 8: condicioni omnium civium, Cic. Cael. 9, 22: ut consulas omnibus, ut provideas saluti, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 10, 31.—Impers. pass.: a dis vitae hominum consuli et provideri, Cic. N. D. 1, 2, 4: est autem de Brundusio providendum, id. Phil. 11, 11, 26; cf.: de re frumentariā, Caes. B. C. 3, 34: de frumento, id. B. G. 3, 3: ut quam rectissime agantur omnia providebo, Cic. Fam. 1, 2, 4.—So with ne, Cic. Verr. 1, 17, 51: cura et provide, ne quid ei desit, id. Att. 11, 3, 3: ne qua civitas suis finibus recipiat, a me provisum est, Caes. B. G. 7, 20; cf. impers.: provisum est, ne, etc., Ter. Phorm. 5, 2, 14: provisum atque praecautum est, ne quid, etc., Liv. 36, 17.—II.Act.A.Lit., to see or perceive in the distance (very rare): nave provisā, Suet. Tib. 14; id. Dom. 14.—B.Trop.1. In respect of time, to see or perceive beforehand, to foresee; to see before or earlier (class.): si qui, quae eventura sunt, provideant, Pac. ap. Gell. 14, 1, 34 (Trag. Rel. v. 407 Rib.); cf. Cic. Fin. 1, 14, 47: rem, quam mens providit, Lucr. 4, 884: quod ego, priusquam loqui coepisti, sensi atque providi, Cic. Vatin. 2, 4; cf. Caes. B. G. 7, 30: medicus morbum ingravescentem ratione providet, insidias imperator, tempestates gubernator, Cic. Div. 2, 6, 16: providere, quid futurum sit, id. Mur. 2, 4: quod adhuc conjecturā provideri possit, id. Att. 1, 1, 1: tempestas ante provisa, id. Tusc. 3, 22, 52: ratio explorata atque provisa, id. Verr. 2, 1, 6, 15: non hercle te provideram, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 44: aliquem, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 69.—2.To see to, look after, care for, give attention to; to prepare or provide for any thing: eas cellas provident, ne habeant in solo umorem, Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 4: ut res tempusque postulat, provideas atque administres, Cic. Fam. 14, 21: providentia haec potissimum providet, ut, etc., id. N. D. 2, 22, 58: omnia, Sall. C. 60, 4: ea, quae ad usum navium pertinerent, Caes. B. G. 3, 9: rem frumentariam, id. ib. 6, 9; cf.: frumento exercitui proviso, id. ib. 6, 44: provisi ante commeatūs, Tac. A. 15, 4: verbaque provisam rem non invita sequentur, Hor. A. P. 311: omnia quae multo ante memoi provisa repones, Verg. G. 1, 167; cf.: providebam Dominum in conspectu meo, kept in view, i. e. in mind, Vulg. Psa. 15, 8.—3. Providere aliquid, to prevent, obviate an evil (syn. cavere): neque omnino facere aut providere quicquam poterant, Sall. J. 99, 2 Kritz: quicquid provideri potest, provide, Cic. Att. 5, 11, 1: quae consilio provideri poterunt, cavebuntur, id. ib. 10, 16, 2; Liv. 36, 17, 2; Plin. 34, 6, 14, 30 Sillig; 34, 7, 18, 40; Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 6.—Hence, A. prōvĭ-dens, entis, P. a., foreseeing, provident, prudent (class.): homo multum providens, Cic. Fam. 6, 6, 9.—Comp.: id est providentius,
more prudent
, Cic. Fam. 3, 1, 1.—Sup.: providentissimus quisque, Tac. H. 1, 85; Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 6.—Adv.: prōvĭdenter, with foresight, providently, prudently, Sall. J. 90, 1; Plin. Pan. 1; Dig. 47, 3, 1.—Comp.: quanto melius quanto providentius, Quint. Decl. 14, 8.—Sup.: providentissime, Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94; Plin. Ep. 10, 61 (69), 1; 10, 77 (81), 1.—B. prōvīsō, adv., with foresight or forethought, prudently: temere, proviso, Tac. A. 12, 39.