Dictionary

providential en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pɹɒvɪˈdɛnʃl̩/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Italic *pro- Latin prō- Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *widéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *widēō Latin videō Latin prōvideō Latin prōvidēns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin prōvidentia English -al English providential From Latin prōvidentia (“providence”) + English -al.

Meanings

1. Pertaining to divine providence.
   • The same belief underlay the providential view of history, in which the rise and fall of nations appeared as the expression of God's unsearchable purposes. 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 88:
2. Fortunate, as if occurring through the intervention of Providence.
   • “Why, Jane,” he cried, “what do you mean? What has our providential rescue to do with altering your feelings toward me? You are but unstrung—tomorrow you will be yourself again.” 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 183:

Forms

Deriveds

providentialist · providentially · providentialism · unprovidential · nonprovidential

Relateds

providence

Synonyms

heaven-sent · fortunate · lucky · serendipitous

Translations (8)

fr providentiel (fortunate) · it provvidenziale (fortunate) · gl providencial (fortunate) · es providencial (fortunate) · fi onnellinen (fortunate) · eo providencia (fortunate) · gv ard-chiarailagh (fortunate) · fi onnekas (fortunate)