Meaning

verb give something useful or necessary to

verb give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance

verb determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), especially by including a proviso condition or stipulation

originInherited from Middle English providen, from Latin prōvidēre (“to foresee, act with foresight”). Doublet of purvey.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0