provident

adjective

ˈprä-və-dənt How to pronounce provident (audio)
Definition of providentnext
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 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
  1. economical
  2. cautious
  3. saving
  4. careful
  5. prudent
  6. proactive
  7. farsighted
  8. prescient
Adjective
  • Its second job is to be relatively economical to own and operate.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The company also recently inked a first-look deal with Divide/Conquer to develop high-concept projects for an economical rate.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of economical
Adjective
  • During this time, mature bucks become increasingly active and less cautious to establish dominance within their territory.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The challenge now is balancing expansion with operational discipline, particularly as Cava enters new markets and consumers become more cautious about spending.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Nov. 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
  • Wrangler in focus Kontoor is taking a prudent approach in planning Wrangler’s business.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Raven has also built some tangible privacy controls into the hardware (a prudent choice given recent privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

providence
provident
providential
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All