1
as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
it is possible to be provident without being miserly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
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
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
-
One engineering strand student, Kabeer Bhatia, joined a team of associates redesigning a step stool into a more functional piece that was easier, more economical, and quicker to manufacture.—
Jean Eddy,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Freyne does a lot with a modest budget, finding smart ways to show us fantastical things — memories playing out as if dioramas at the Natural History Museum, a vast expo hall filled with stalls advertising various paradises — on an economical scale.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Employers increasingly wonder whether campuses are cultivating independent thinkers or just cautious followers.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The sum dwarfs most acquisitions this year — and marks TIFF’s first eight-figure deal in several editions — underlining the resilience of genre cinema at a time when studios and streamers alike are cautious.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But Eliasen is careful not to let scope creep derail initial implementations.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Some decisions are prudent, such as the Las Vegas Raiders to defeat the New England Patriots at a nice underdog price.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
These nations have lowered taxes, reduced the size of the state and generally been fiscally prudent with sustainable debt/GDP levels – and their growth rates reflect these prudent decisions.—
Alden Abbott,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This more proactive approach to accessibility should help organizations both spot issues earlier and fix them faster.—
Gus Alexiou,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Daniel Costa, an attorney and director of immigration with the think tank the Economic Policy Institute, has called on Congress to boost the division’s funding to allow its regulators to conduct more proactive investigations.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
No matter what compromises Lucas and our farsighted mayor at the time, Rahm Emanuel, offered, there was no compromise from this group.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
-
Eastwood’s farsighted plan also involved advancing his acting career.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Though this would have proven remarkably prescient—in 2007, Led Zeppelin would reunite with Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer, John Bonham—Marty’s epilogue just didn’t feel right.—
Rob Reiner,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The idea of there being a comfort of falling back into a routine feels prescient right now.—
Trey Williams,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share