PROVIDENT Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

provident

adjective

ˈprä-və-dənt

Definition of provident

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for provident

Adjective

Then in early June, PSA caused more waves by pausing four of its most economical service levels due to an overwhelming backlog of submissions.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Both economical and practical, stock up on your favorite hues.

— Jessica Benavides Canepa, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026

Definition of economical

Adjective

At a time when global fashion is navigating economic uncertainty, shifting supply chains and cautious consumer spending, one country is making an unmistakably confident statement.

— Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Those with underlying health conditions like asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or who are pregnant need to be extra cautious about breathing in wildfire smoke.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of cautious

Adjective

But the series is careful to cast suspicions in a multitude of directions, not merely at Michael but at several people in Sarah’s orbit who only reveal themselves when backed into corners.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 July 2026
Since pilot and crew remains may also still be buried underground, careful excavation work is even more important.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 July 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

Halting most such operations was a prudent first step, and one that should’ve allowed for a thorough assessment of how immigration enforcement is being carried out.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Skepticism of authority is prudent; excessive skepticism is corrosive.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 15 July 2026

Definition of prudent

Adjective

Private markets chronically undersave, leaving future generations with less capital than a farsighted society would choose to bequeath.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
In another farsighted plot point, Verne has his characters attempt a course-correction burn using firework-like rockets.

— Neil Oseman, Space.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of farsighted

Adjective

My book was meant to highlight both the personal and societal issues of early literacy deprivation, while tracking the prescient issue of increasing screen time dumbing down and dehumanizing society.

— Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
The Red Sox have surged without their injured ace, Garrett Crochet, who last pitched on April 25, the day Breslow fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches in a panic move, power play or, perhaps, a prescient vision of what a change could mean.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of prescient

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“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of provident

adjective

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