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
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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.
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
If you should be so improvident as to kick it hard, the engine will come to full strength at the speed of thought.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
Her restlessness manifests itself in a familiar way—she makes an improvident purchase and leaves her husband of twentysome years, but instead of buying a convertible, Sam buys a house.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2021
In one heat, a driver made an improvident move and three cars collided, one flipping on its side.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2019
He was not so improvident as to pay cash for these options, however; instead, he gave ninety-day notes, writing across the face of each one: "Not negotiable until after maturity."
From Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford by George Randolph Chester
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
