Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “providence” come from?

Providence comes from Middle French providence, meaning divine foresight and care.

providence (English): Preparation for the future; good governance,...

Definitions

  1. Preparation for the future; good governance,...

Ancestry of “providence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchprovidence—
2Latinprōvidentia—
3Latinprōvidēns—
4Latinprōvideō—
5Latinprō-—
6Proto-Italic*pro-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
9Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “providence”

  • improvidence
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →