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.
Winston Churchill in 1938 charged Britain’s rulers with “an improvident stewardship” in the preceding years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
Jon Provost played Timmy, a well-intentioned but improvident child who often finds himself in life-threatening situations that require Lassie to alert his folks and guide them to him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025
“They’re saying, ‘You’re making an improvident business decision that potentially undermines your ability to compete effectively.’
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
She did quit her job to take care of him, but they were improvident and did not buy long-term care insurance.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2021
You should have known my father; he was always cheerful even in his poorest moments; yet no one would have called him careless nor improvident.
From The Triumph of Jill by Young, F.E. Mills
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.
