1
as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
it is possible to be provident without being miserly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cautious
having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future
her provident measures kept us safe while we waited out the hurricane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provident
The ordinance also recognizes domestic workers as formal workers and extends protections to employees of non-profit organizations, including eligibility for provident fund and pension schemes.
—
Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
My brother-in-law was not what one calls a provident father.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2024
For example, many cities have begun allowing parents to help their children buy an apartment using their housing provident funds, a kind of compulsory saving program in China.
—Jacky Wong, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022
Its pilots are angry over not having received the company’s contribution towards their provident fund since 2020, even as pay cuts continue.
—Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 13 July 2022
Social Security would likely be replaced also with a provident-fund system, basically a private retirement account with mandatory contributions, with backup provisions if this proves to be insufficient in old age.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021
That led to another announcement this spring, which prevented people from using BN(O) passports for the early withdrawal of mandatory provident funds (MPFs).
—Michelle Toh and Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, 26 Aug. 2021
The deficits, however, demand a more provident approach to the ballooning defense budget (now larger than everything else in the federal discretionary budget combined).
—Jessica T. Mathews, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020
The combined employer-and-employee contribution rates into the city’s central provident fund – the main pension plan – currently drop from 37% at 55 years of age to as low as 12.5% for older workers.
—Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2019
Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
My brother-in-law was not what one calls a provident father.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2024
For example, many cities have begun allowing parents to help their children buy an apartment using their housing provident funds, a kind of compulsory saving program in China.
—Jacky Wong, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022
Its pilots are angry over not having received the company’s contribution towards their provident fund since 2020, even as pay cuts continue.
—Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 13 July 2022
Social Security would likely be replaced also with a provident-fund system, basically a private retirement account with mandatory contributions, with backup provisions if this proves to be insufficient in old age.
—Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021
That led to another announcement this spring, which prevented people from using BN(O) passports for the early withdrawal of mandatory provident funds (MPFs).
—Michelle Toh and Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, 26 Aug. 2021
The deficits, however, demand a more provident approach to the ballooning defense budget (now larger than everything else in the federal discretionary budget combined).
—Jessica T. Mathews, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020
The combined employer-and-employee contribution rates into the city’s central provident fund – the main pension plan – currently drop from 37% at 55 years of age to as low as 12.5% for older workers.
—Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provident
Adjective
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Pop-up tent campers are an easy, but still economical, camping solution for those latter folks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Each hire should either be more economical or create significant efficiency for the business.—
Eric Youngstrom,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The anticipated move would end a string of three consecutive quarter-point rate cuts, aligning with a cautious approach outlined by Powell last month, before reports of the investigation into his conduct.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Still, more cautious analysts have flagged weaker activity in China.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Jan. 2026
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Leeds are right on the limit of their profitability and sustainability (PSR) projections, but with some careful rebalancing of the finances, this could be a swing worth taking.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The former are made using a resource-saving, closed-loop process.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This indicates that investing in Ford may be a more prudent choice.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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For many, this is not only a prudent act of personal safety, but an expression of liberty and a bulwark against government overreach.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Eversource electric customers have benefited from a system that has ranked in the top 10% nationally for reliability in recent years, thanks to proactive, prudent investments to make our infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather.—
Steve Sullivan,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
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That's why Fink recommends global business and political leaders be proactive in figuring out how to ensure workers aren't left out of the financial growth AI is likely to create.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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These word assemblages could then be linked to one another or branch off in entirely new directions—a farsighted idea for the time.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Dec. 2025
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Avoiding these dangers and reducing the U.S. economy’s exposure to risk requires a careful, farsighted strategy that recognizes the reality of the United States’ place in today’s world.—
Don Graves,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That story is a prescient example of how formative memories shape one’s character and worldview.—
Jonathan Borge,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
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Your movie, now almost 20 years old, shows how prescient Valentino was in bringing celebrities into the fashion world.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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