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

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 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

Conceived with an advanced hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system, the vessel has a range of approximately 6,500 nautical miles at an economical cruising speed of 12 knots.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
This is so economical and an effective supplement to love declarations.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of economical

Adjective

Be cautious about unfamiliar apps with extensive permissions.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
And while Denton appears to be the right person to focus on cost savings and efficiencies, Wall Street remained cautious on the timing of Nike’s turnaround.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 23 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

There’s that Japanese concept of space and pause—in the wide corridors, the uncluttered lobby, the careful symmetry.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
The first step was to tailor it to her size, while being careful to preserve the bespoke construction.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

Predicting the costs How cities full of rational, educated, financially prudent people get sucked in, how we’re persuaded to put aside concerns about being stuck with a massive bill and just surrender to the spectacle.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
And of course, in an era where data and technology sovereignty are both increasingly important, developing space sovereign capability is a prudent hedge against over-reliance on partners whose strategic visions may not always align with one’s own.

— Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of prudent

Adjective

Everything has unintended consequences, and attempting to capture these trade-offs across the whole ecosystem — much of which sits outside of a brand’s control — would paralyze even the most proactive nature lead.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Mejia said his office does not have the manpower to conduct proactive audits of the department, with only eight available auditors who are able to complete two to three audits a year.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 28 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

Von Donnersmarck set The Lives of Others in the same year that Orwell’s prescient fiction takes place, so this production seems like a match made in dystopian heaven.

— Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
With the purification industry tracking to reach $35 billion in less than a decade, the brands that capitalize on purification with prescient solutions have opportunity ahead.

— Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of prescient

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“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of provident

adjective

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