1
as in carelessness
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2
as in liberality
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of improvidence
Two key factors in the SVB disaster can’t be overlooked: The incompetence of the bank’s management and the improvidence of its customers.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023
Christina Stead gives an unflinching portrait of her own childhood, dominated by improvidence, quarrels and violence—and a crazed, buccaneering idealist of a father who both adores and exploits his ever-increasing brood of children.
—Marina Warner, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022
Some of them cheered for the development of natural resources, and some of them expressed dismay over the waste, improvidence, and disruption that progress unleashed.
—Patty Limerick, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2020
In the most spectacular example of improvidence, 54-year-old Larraine blows an entire month’s worth of food stamps on a single meal of lobster tails, shrimp, crab and lemon meringue pie, washed down with Pepsi.
—Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2016
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023
Christina Stead gives an unflinching portrait of her own childhood, dominated by improvidence, quarrels and violence—and a crazed, buccaneering idealist of a father who both adores and exploits his ever-increasing brood of children.
—Marina Warner, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022
Some of them cheered for the development of natural resources, and some of them expressed dismay over the waste, improvidence, and disruption that progress unleashed.
—Patty Limerick, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2020
In the most spectacular example of improvidence, 54-year-old Larraine blows an entire month’s worth of food stamps on a single meal of lobster tails, shrimp, crab and lemon meringue pie, washed down with Pepsi.
—Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvidence
Noun
-
Someone gets hurt, the cause points toward another person’s carelessness, and suddenly, the situation becomes legal instead of just painful.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Coach Sean Miller will focus on his team's carelessness with the ball at half; Texas has nine turnovers compared to two for Auburn.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mackenzie had earned a reputation for piety, patriotism, lack of humor and liberality with the lash.—
Gerard Helferich,
WSJ,
10 Nov. 2023
-
All the states Lauck writes about benefited from the liberality of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.—
Phil Christman,
The New Republic,
22 Feb. 2023
Noun
-
The heedlessness of the children has touched her mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This is the sort of managerial aimlessness the Post is being governed by, just one example of the missteps and squandering of opportunity framed as strategy.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Kiké Hernández followed with a flyout to complete the squandering.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But in people with myopia, Weidmayer explains, light focuses in front of the retina, resulting in distant objects appearing blurry and close-up objects being clear.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Pharmacists, myopia, trust in higher education and Bill Belichick, in readers’ eyes.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Our moods swell with care, generosity, and affection when Luna initially conjoins expansive Jupiter.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Thank you Enoteca/Vespaio for the unmatched generosity throughout so many years.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the chaos and imprudence of Trump’s misguided and mismanaged tariffs have roiled the markets and fueled talk of a recession.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
12 Mar. 2025
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But the apparent imprudence of such a ploy didn’t stop Murphy, Davidson, or Regan, who would go on to challenge the N.H.L. and N.F.L., two other powerhouse leagues that had been around since the 1920s.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
31 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
In a more simplistic story, Derya and Aziz’s efforts to find a good private school for their daughter would come off as a hopeless bourgeois indulgence.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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However, Catholics often choose an indulgence to abstain from such as sweets or wine in observance.—
Matthew Kayser,
Ascend Agency,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improvidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvidence. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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