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

That arrangement is efficient for moving large volumes over long distances, but assembling trains and coordinating terminal operations can make smaller, short-haul shipments less economical.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
The routes are mapped out to ensure that not a drop of fuel goes wasted; however, there comes a point when costs must be passed on to customers or operating is no longer economical, Diaz said.

— Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of economical

Adjective

The actors Nael Nacer and Artemis Pebdani double as Haddad’s great-aunt and -uncle and parents, playing across a spectrum of discomfort and cautious support.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of cautious

Adjective

It can be stripped through re-saving or format conversion, which is why the two systems are meant to complement each other.

— Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Less saving and more investment mean more competitive bidding for funds and therefore higher interest rates.

— Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of saving

Adjective

Democratic congressional candidates will also need to be careful about balancing partisan messages to their base with more measured appeals to independent voters.

— Julio Borquez, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
But perhaps the biggest challenge of all was being extremely careful not to pass moral judgment on the story or any of the characters being portrayed.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

Hafley didn’t say this, but keeping him out through the bye would seem prudent.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
In my view, a multinational AI task force of government and private sector experts from a range of disciplines would be more prudent than creating an AI Force, a quasi-military entity that would institutionalize AI’s worst impulses.

— Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of prudent

Adjective

Equipping your agent with this context can set it apart from generic FAQ-reciting chatbots and unlock extraordinary mobile experiences, including helpful, proactive communications.

— Amanda McGuckin Hager, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
The Google Pixel Watch 5 smartwatch sits at the top with proactive Gemini capabilities, all current Wear OS features, full Fitbit integration, and robust third-party app support.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of proactive

Adjective

Some farsighted experts have warned that AI could devastate the job market and widen the divisions that mark today’s politics and society.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of farsighted

Adjective

Biologists are now finally becoming able to map experimental data to a real mathematical landscape for differentiation and show just how prescient Waddington was.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
With headlines about the threat of AI on humanity, Artificial is looking like the more prescient film over the look in the rearview mirror that is Social Reckoning.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of prescient

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“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of provident

adjective

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