The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Providence \Prov"i*dence\, n. [L. providentia: cf. F.
   providence. See Provident, and cf. Prudence.]
   1. The act of providing or preparing for future use or
      application; a making ready; preparation.
      [1913 Webster]

            Providence for war is the best prevention of it.
                                                  --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Foresight; care; especially, the foresight and care which
      God manifests for his creatures; hence, God himself,
      regarded as exercising a constant wise prescience.
      [1913 Webster]

            The world was all before them, where to choose
            Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.
                                                  --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Theol.) A manifestation of the care and superintendence
      which God exercises over his creatures; an event ordained
      by divine direction.
      [1913 Webster]

            He that hath a numerous family, and many to provide
            for, needs a greater providence of God. --Jer.
                                                  Taylor.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Prudence in the management of one's concerns; economy;
      frugality.
      [1913 Webster]

            It is a high point of providence in a prince to cast
            an eye rather upon actions than persons. --Quarles.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Providence
    n 1: the capital and largest city of Rhode Island; located in
         northeastern Rhode Island on Narragansett Bay; site of
         Brown University [syn: Providence, capital of Rhode
         Island]
    2: the guardianship and control exercised by a deity; "divine
       providence"
    3: a manifestation of God's foresightful care for his creatures
    4: the prudence and care exercised by someone in the management
       of resources [ant: improvidence, shortsightedness]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

56 Moby Thesaurus words for "Providence":
   Almighty God, Alpha and Omega, Atropos, Clotho, Dame Fortune,
   Decuma, Demiourgos, Demiurge, Fata, Fates, Fortuna, God,
   God Almighty, Heaven, I Am, Jehovah, King of Kings, Lachesis, Lord,
   Lord of Lords, Lord of hosts, Moirai, Morta, Nona, Norns,
   Omnipotence, Omniscience, Parcae, Skuld, Tyche, Urdur, Verthandi,
   Weird Sisters, Weirds, the Absolute, the Absolute Being,
   the All-holy, the All-knowing, the All-merciful, the All-powerful,
   the All-wise, the Almighty, the Creator, the Deity, the Divinity,
   the Eternal, the Eternal Being, the First Cause, the Infinite,
   the Infinite Spirit, the Maker, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient,
   the Preserver, the Supreme Being, the Supreme Soul



Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

121 Moby Thesaurus words for "providence":
   acuity, acumen, acuteness, anticipation, apperception, astuteness,
   austerity, austerity program, beneficence, canniness, care,
   carefulness, caution, chariness, circumspection, circumspectness,
   cogency, concern, conservation, consideration, contemplation,
   control, cool judgment, creation, destiny, direction, discernment,
   discreetness, discretion, discrimination, dispensation,
   economic planning, economicalness, economy, economy of means,
   envisagement, envisionment, false economy, farseeingness,
   farsightedness, fate, forearming, forecast, foreglance, foregleam,
   foreglimpse, forehandedness, foreseeing, foresight,
   foresightedness, forethought, forethoughtfulness, fortune,
   frugality, frugalness, good judgment, good management, guidance,
   husbandry, incisiveness, insight, insurance, judgment,
   judiciousness, karma, kismet, longheadedness, longsightedness,
   looking ahead, lot, management, measures, parsimoniousness,
   parsimony, penetration, perception, perceptiveness, percipience,
   perspicaciousness, perspicacity, perspicuity, perspicuousness,
   policy, polity, precaution, precautions, precautiousness,
   prediction, preparation, prepublication, preservation,
   preventive measure, preview, prevision, prospect, prospection,
   protection, provision, prudence, prudential administration,
   prudentialism, readiness, reflection, reflectiveness, safeguard,
   sagaciousness, sagacity, sensibility, sound judgment,
   soundness of judgment, sparingness, steps, steps and measures,
   thoughtfulness, thrift, thriftiness, tight purse strings,
   trenchancy, unwastefulness, visitations of providence, weighing



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Providence
   literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's
   preserving and governing all things by means of second causes
   (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's
   providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7;
   Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26;
   10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov.
   21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam.
   2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to
   the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14,
   15; Prov. 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1), and things sinful (2 Sam.
   16:10; 24:1; Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28), as well as to their
   good actions (Phil. 2:13; 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Eph. 2:10; Gal.
   5:22-25).

     As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as
   occurring by God's permission (Gen. 45:5; 50:20. Comp. 1 Sam.
   6:6; Ex. 7:13; 14:17; Acts 2:3; 3:18; 4:27, 28), and as
   controlled (Ps. 76:10) and overruled for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts
   3:13). God does not cause or approve of sin, but only limits,
   restrains, overrules it for good.

     The mode of God's providential government is altogether
   unexplained. We only know that it is a fact that God does govern
   all his creatures and all their actions; that this government is
   universal (Ps. 103:17-19), particular (Matt. 10:29-31),
   efficacious (Ps. 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently
   contingent (Prov. 16:9, 33; 19:21; 21:1), is consistent with his
   own perfection (2 Tim. 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom. 9:17;
   11:36).


U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Providence -- U.S. County in Rhode Island
   Population (2000):    621602
   Housing Units (2000): 253214
   Land area (2000):     413.267043 sq. miles (1070.356682 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    22.557501 sq. miles (58.423658 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    435.824544 sq. miles (1128.780340 sq. km)
   Located within:       Rhode Island (RI), FIPS 44
   Location:             41.852849 N, 71.456165 W
   Headwords:
    Providence
    Providence, RI
    Providence County
    Providence County, RI


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Providence, RI -- U.S. city in Rhode Island
   Population (2000):    173618
   Housing Units (2000): 67915
   Land area (2000):     18.466726 sq. miles (47.828598 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    2.064515 sq. miles (5.347070 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    20.531241 sq. miles (53.175668 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            59000
   Located within:       Rhode Island (RI), FIPS 44
   Location:             41.823550 N, 71.422132 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     02903 02906 02908
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Providence, RI
    Providence


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Providence, KY -- U.S. city in Kentucky
   Population (2000):    3611
   Housing Units (2000): 1754
   Land area (2000):     6.149764 sq. miles (15.927814 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.021216 sq. miles (0.054950 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    6.170980 sq. miles (15.982764 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            63372
   Located within:       Kentucky (KY), FIPS 21
   Location:             37.398389 N, 87.757077 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     42450
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Providence, KY
    Providence


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Providence, UT -- U.S. city in Utah
   Population (2000):    4377
   Housing Units (2000): 1290
   Land area (2000):     2.825650 sq. miles (7.318399 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    2.825650 sq. miles (7.318399 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            62360
   Located within:       Utah (UT), FIPS 49
   Location:             41.705087 N, 111.814214 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     84332
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Providence, UT
    Providence


U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Providence, AL -- U.S. town in Alabama
   Population (2000):    311
   Housing Units (2000): 133
   Land area (2000):     1.769297 sq. miles (4.582458 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.769297 sq. miles (4.582458 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            62688
   Located within:       Alabama (AL), FIPS 01
   Location:             32.348986 N, 87.778309 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Providence, AL
    Providence