providential
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or resulting from divine providence.
providential care.
-
opportune, fortunate, or lucky.
a providential event.
- Synonyms:
- happy
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of providential
1640–50; < Latin prōvidenti ( a ) providence + -al 1
Explanation
If your best friend pulls up beside you in her convertible just as your bike gets a flat tire, you could call it providential, or magically lucky. The Latin root of providential is providentia, "foresight or precaution." Providence changed over the years; it usually referred specifically to the care of God, and it was spelled with a capital P. Providential, likewise, has another meaning that's purely religious, "resulting from God's intervention." Whether you're talking about God or not, if something is providential, it feels a little miraculous.
Vocabulary lists containing providential
30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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Twilight
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GRE Verbal Reasoning, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Efraín, meanwhile, welcomes her as a sort of providential poet of the underclass, and wants her to read at the opening of a poetry festival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
“Over the last few days, many people have said it was a providential moment.”
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2024
Everything else, he seemed to suggest, will follow, almost automatically, from that providential arrival.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2024
Instead of communicating with a cop, he exchanges information with Trudy via providential walkie-talkies.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2022
His sudden return had been providential after all.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
