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act of providing or preparing for future use or application; a making ready; preparation. Providence for war is the best prevention of it. Bacon.

The quality of being improvident; want of foresight or thrift. The improvidence of my neighbor must not make me inhuman. L'Estrange.

ishing the knights. Shak. It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it. Wilkins. These qualities . . . go to accomplish a perfect woman. Cowden Clarke.

the state of being in action; action; instrumentality. The superintendence and agency of Providence in the natural world. Woodward.

share; to bestow on; to grant; to appoint; as, let every man be contented with that which Providence allots him. Ten years I will allot to the attainment of knowledge. Johnson.

wit and an argument of parts for a man to commence atheist, and to cast off all belief of providence, all awe and reverence for religion South.

To maintain; to defend. [Obs. or Archaic] That . . . I may assert Eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men. Milton. I will assert it from the scandal. Jer. Taylor.

Any aggregate of varied vicissitudes. How strange a checkerwork of Providence is the life of man. De Foe.

concerns himself in the happiness of his subjects. They think themselves out the reach of Providence, and no longer concerned to solicit his favor. Rogers.

Concurrence; coöperation. [Obs.] The divine providence is wont to afford its concourse to such proceeding. Barrow.

A county town; -- so called in Virginia and some others of the Southern States. Providence, the county town of Fairfax, is unknown by that name, and passes as Fairfax Court House. Barlett.

rch, who, to use their own phrase, "dealt with him" on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestly held out. Hawthorne. Return . . . and I will deal well with thee. Gen. xxxii. 9.

rant; to withhold; to refuse to gratify or yield to; as, to deny a request. Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies Pope. To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it. J. Edwards.

making differences; discriminating. "Discriminative censure." J. Foster. "Discriminative Providence." Dr. H. More.

generically, of the acts and modes of his administration. To respect the dispensations of Providence. Burke.

day; Time's noblest offspring is the last. Berkeley. The drama and contrivances of God's providence. Sharp.

ly, to observe or watch narrowly, or with fixed attention; to hold in view. Eye me, blest Providence, and square my trial To my proportioned strength. Milton.

Any expression of displeasure; as, the frowns of Providence; the frowns of Fortune.

te chance; as, he made a hit. What late he called a blessing, now was wit, And God's good providence, a lucky hit. Pope.

it manner; without reserve; with unreserved confidence. Not to dispute the methods of his providence, but humbly and implicitly to acquiesce in and adore them. Atterbury.