"with or on condition that; this (or it) being understood, conceded, or established," early 15c., conjunction use of past participle of provide. As an adjective, "destined" (early 15c.); "prepared, ready" (1570s); "furnished" (1878).

c. 1300, purveien, "make previous arrangements," also "think beforehand, consider" (senses now obsolete); early 14c. as "prepare (something), make (something) ready;" late 14c. as "provide, supply (a necessity), furnish (what is needed)," from Anglo-French porveire, purveire and directly from Old French porveoir "to provide, prepare, arrange" (Modern French pourvoir), from Latin providere "look ahead, prepare, supply, act with foresight," from pro "ahead" (see pro-) + videre "to see" (from PIE root *weid- "to see"). Compare provide, which now usually replaces it. Related: Purveyed; purveying.

"act of improvising musically," 1786, from French improvisation, from improviser "compose or say extemporaneously" (17c.), from Italian improvisare "to sing or speak extempore," from Latin improviso "unforeseen; not studied or prepared beforehand," ablative of improvisus "not foreseen, unexpected," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + provisus "foreseen," also "provided," past participle of providere "foresee, provide" (see provide). From music the sense expanded to a general meaning "do or perform on the spur of the moment."

1808, from Italian improvisare "to sing or speak extempore," from Latin improviso "unforeseen; not studied or prepared beforehand," ablative of improvisus "not foreseen, unexpected," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + provisus "foreseen," also "provided," past participle of providere "foresee, provide" (see provide). Also partly from French improviser.

Regarded as a foreign word and generally printed in italics in English in early 19c. Other verbs were improvisate (1825), improvisatorize (1828), the latter from improvisator "one of a class of noted extemporaneous poets of Italy" (1765), the earliest word of the group to appear in English. Related: Improvised; improvising.

The metre generally adopted for these compositions was the ottava rima, although Doni affirms that the Florentines used to improvise* in all kinds of measure.

* This new-coined verb is introduced to avoid circumlocution, for this time only: therefore I hope your readers will excuse it. I conjugate it after the regular verb to revise — improvise — improvising — improvised. ["On the Improvvisatori of Italy," in The Athenaeum, August 1808]

Our travellers have introduced among us the substantive improvisatore unaltered from the Italian; but as the verb improvisare could not be received without alteration, we lack it altogether, though the usage of the noun requires that of the verb: I here endeavor to supply the deficience by the word improvisate. [Samuel Oliver Jr., "A General, Critical Grammar of the Inglish Language," London, 1825]

late 14c., from Latin imprudentem (nominative imprudens) "not foreseeing, unaware, inconsiderate, heedless," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + prudens, contraction of providens, present participle of providere "to provide," literally "to see before (one)" (see provide). Related: Imprudently.

also providore, "one who provides necessities and supplies," 1570s, from Portuguese provedor, Spanish proveedor "a provider, purveyor," perhaps via Venetian dialect, from an agent noun from verbs rooted in Latin providere (see provide). English had the word as well in a now-obsolete form proveditor (1580s), from Italian proveditore.

c. 1400, "prudent, foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them," from Old French provident and directly from Latin providentem (nominative providens) "foreseeing, prudent," present participle of providere "to foresee" (see provide). By 1590s as "frugal, economical."

"one who provides, furnishes, or supplies," 1520s, agent noun from provide.

late 14c., provisioun, "foresight, prudence, care;" also "a providing beforehand, action of arranging in advance" (at first often in reference to ecclesiastical appointments made before the position was vacant), from Old French provision "precaution, care" (early 14c.), from Latin provisionem (nominative provisio) "a foreseeing, foresight, preparation, prevention," noun of action from past-participle stem of providere "look ahead" (see provide).

The meaning "something provided, supply of necessary things" is attested from mid-15c.; specific sense of "supply of food" (provisions) is by c. 1600. In law, "a stipulation, a distinct clause in a statute, etc.; a rule or principle," late 15c. A provision-car (by 1864) was a railroad car with refrigeration for preserving perishable products during transportation.

"a clause making what precedes conditional on what follows, a stipulation, a special exception to the general terms of a legislative act," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin proviso (quod) "provided (that)," the original Latin wording of the usual phrase at the beginning of clauses in legal documents (mid-14c.), from Latin proviso "it being provided," ablative neuter of provisus, past participle of providere (see provide). Related: Provisory.