providential

English

Etymology

From Latin prōvidentia (“providence”) +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹɒvɪˈdɛnʃl̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

providential (comparative more providential, superlative most providential)

1. Pertaining to divine providence. [from 17th c.]
   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 88:

     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.

2. Fortunate, as if occurring through the intervention of Providence. [from 18th c.]

   Synonyms: heaven-sent, fortunate, lucky, serendipitous

   • 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 183:

     “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.”

Derived terms

• nonprovidential
• providentialism
• providentialist
• providentially
• unprovidential

Related terms

• providence

Translations

fortunate

• Esperanto: providencia
• Finnish: onnekas (fi), onnellinen (fi)
• French: providentiel (fr)
• Galician: providencial (gl)
• Italian: provvidenziale (it)
• Manx: ard-chiarailagh
• Spanish: providencial (es)