improvident
Americanadjective
-
not provident; lacking foresight; incautious; unwary.
- Synonyms:
- heedless, imprudent, careless, thoughtless
- Antonyms:
- prudent
-
neglecting to provide for future needs.
- Synonyms:
- prodigal, wasteful, unthrifty, thriftless, shiftless
- Antonyms:
- economical
adjective
-
not provident; thriftless, imprudent, or prodigal
-
heedless or incautious; rash
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of improvident
Explanation
Someone who is improvident doesn't worry about the future — or plan wisely for it. If you spend all your money on video games even though you know you have to buy your mom a birthday present next week, you have made an improvident decision. In the adjective improvident, the prefix im- means "opposite" or "not." Provident comes from the Latin word providere, meaning "foresee, provide." Put that together and you get something that lacks foresight and consideration for the future, like an improvident town council that spends the whole budget on playground equipment, leaving nothing to cover the inevitable repairs to fire trucks or public restrooms.
Vocabulary lists containing improvident
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Things Fall Apart
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A Streetcar Named Desire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Improvident, too; for only by long and exclusive service could she hope that in her old age she would not be cast out on the parish.
From And Even Now by Beerbohm, Max, Sir
"Improvident villain! we are both undone," said Varney.
From Kenilworth by Scott, Walter, Sir
Improvident, im-prov′i-dent, adj. not provident or prudent: wanting foresight: thoughtless.—adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Improvident" is the word his biographer uses "certainly when tested by the maxims of the world.
From Revisiting the Earth by Hill, James Langdon
Improvident collector of curiosities! how did the matronly Agnes endure such tradings?
From Dürer Artist-Biographies by Sweetser, M. F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
