Lewis & Short

prō-vĭdĕo, vīdi, vīsum, 2, v. n. and a.

  1. I. Neutr.
    1. A. Lit., to see forwards or before one’s self, to see in the distance, to discern, descry (very rare): ubi, quid petatur, procul provideri nequeat, Liv. 44, 35, 12.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. To be provident or cautious, to act with foresight, to take care (rare but class.; syn. praecaveo): actum de te est, nisi provides. Cic. Fam. 9, 18, 4; id. Rab. Post. 1, 1: nisi providisses, tibi ipsi pereundum fuisset, id. Verr. 2, 1, 61, § 157.
      2. 2. To see to, look after, care for; to provide, make preparation or provision for any thing (freq. and class.); constr. absol., with dat., de, ut, ne: multum in posterum providerunt, quod, etc., Cic. Agr. 2, 33, 91: nihil me curassis, ego mihi providero, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 93: rei frumentariae, Caes. B. G. 5, 8: condicioni omnium civium, Cic. Cael. 9, 22: ut consulas omnibus, ut provideas saluti, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 10, § 31.
        Impers. pass.: a dis vitae hominum consuli et provideri, Cic. N. D. 1, 2, 4: est autem de Brundusio providendum, id. Phil. 11, 11, 26; cf.: de re frumentariā, Caes. B. C. 3, 34: de frumento, id. B. G. 3, 3: ut quam rectissime agantur omnia providebo, Cic. Fam. 1, 2, 4.
        So with ne, Cic. Verr. 1, 17, 51: cura et provide, ne quid ei desit, id. Att. 11, 3, 3: ne qua civitas suis finibus recipiat, a me provisum est, Caes. B. G. 7, 20; cf. impers.: provisum est, ne, etc., Ter. Phorm. 5, 2, 14: provisum atque praecautum est, ne quid, etc., Liv. 36, 17.
  2. II. Act.
    1. A. Lit., to see or perceive in the distance (very rare): nave provisā, Suet. Tib. 14; id. Dom. 14.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In respect of time, to see or perceive beforehand, to foresee; to see before or earlier (class.): si qui, quae eventura sunt, provideant, Pac. ap. Gell. 14, 1, 34 (Trag. Rel. v. 407 Rib.); cf. Cic. Fin. 1, 14, 47: rem, quam mens providit, Lucr. 4, 884: quod ego, priusquam loqui coepisti, sensi atque providi, Cic. Vatin. 2, 4; cf. Caes. B. G. 7, 30: medicus morbum ingravescentem ratione providet, insidias imperator, tempestates gubernator, Cic. Div. 2, 6, 16: providere, quid futurum sit, id. Mur. 2, 4: quod adhuc conjecturā provideri possit, id. Att. 1, 1, 1: tempestas ante provisa, id. Tusc. 3, 22, 52: ratio explorata atque provisa, id. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 15: non hercle te provideram, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 44: aliquem, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 69.
      2. 2. To see to, look after, care for, give attention to; to prepare or provide for any thing: eas cellas provident, ne habeant in solo umorem, Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 4: ut res tempusque postulat, provideas atque administres, Cic. Fam. 14, 21: providentia haec potissimum providet, ut, etc., id. N. D. 2, 22, 58: omnia, Sall. C. 60, 4: ea, quae ad usum navium pertinerent, Caes. B. G. 3, 9: rem frumentariam, id. ib. 6, 9; cf.: frumento exercitui proviso, id. ib. 6, 44: provisi ante commeatūs, Tac. A. 15, 4: verbaque provisam rem non invita sequentur, Hor. A. P. 311: omnia quae multo ante memoi provisa repones, Verg. G. 1, 167; cf.: providebam Dominum in conspectu meo, kept in view, i. e. in mind, Vulg. Psa. 15, 8.
      3. 3. Providere aliquid, to prevent, obviate an evil (syn. cavere): neque omnino facere aut providere quicquam poterant, Sall. J. 99, 2 Kritz: quicquid provideri potest, provide, Cic. Att. 5, 11, 1: quae consilio provideri poterunt, cavebuntur, id. ib. 10, 16, 2; Liv. 36, 17, 2; Plin. 34, 6, 14, § 30 Sillig; 34, 7, 18, § 40; Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 6.
        Hence,
    1. A. prōvĭ-dens, entis, P. a., foreseeing, provident, prudent (class.): homo multum providens, Cic. Fam. 6, 6, 9.
      Comp.: id est providentius, more prudent, Cic. Fam. 3, 1, 1.
      Sup.: providentissimus quisque, Tac. H. 1, 85; Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 6.
      Adv.: prōvĭdenter, with foresight, providently, prudently, Sall. J. 90, 1; Plin. Pan. 1; Dig. 47, 3, 1.
      Comp.: quanto melius quanto providentius, Quint. Decl. 14, 8.
      Sup.: providentissime, Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94; Plin. Ep. 10, 61 (69), 1; 10, 77 (81), 1.
    2. * B. prōvīsō, adv., with foresight or forethought, prudently: temere, proviso, Tac. A. 12, 39.