provident

American  

[prov-i-duhnt] / ˈprɒv ɪ dənt /

adjective

1. having or showing foresight; providing carefully for the future.

   Synonyms:

   prudent, cautious

   Antonyms:

   careless

2. characterized by or proceeding from foresight.

   provident care.

3. mindful in making provision (usually followed byof ).

4. economical; frugal; thrifty.

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provident British  

/ ˈprɒvɪdənt /

adjective

1. providing for future needs

2. exercising foresight in the management of one's affairs or resources

3. characterized by or proceeding from foresight

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Other Word Forms

• nonprovident
  adjective
• nonprovidently
  adverb
• overprovident
  adjective
• overprovidently
  adverb
• overprovidentness
  noun
• providently
  adverb
• providentness
  noun
• unprovident
  adjective
• unprovidently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of provident

1400–50; Middle English < Latin prōvident- (stem of prōvidēns ), present participle of prōvidēre to look out for, provide

Explanation

If you are provident, that means you plan carefully for the future. You have your Christmas lights up in early December, you have a well-stocked pantry, and you have some savings tucked away just in case. The word provident traces back to the Latin word providere, meaning "foresee, provide." The word can be used to describe someone who looks into the future — foresees the future, in a sense — and makes decisions based on future needs. It’s often used to describe a thrifty individual who denies himself something today in order to save up for tomorrow, but it can describe actions as well — such as a provident decision that ends up preventing ruin down the road.

Example Sentences

When his public provident fund - a government-backed tax-free investment - matured last year, he sought a way to secure his retirement.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2025

This, too, turned out to be provident for the driver, as the area in which he crashed has little to no cellphone reception.

From Washington Times • Jul. 26, 2023

It may be necessary to restructure loans obtained locally with proper safeguards for banks and employees’ provident funds from which the government has borrowed, he said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2023

But, Hamilton wrote, the Framers of the Constitution "have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention."

From Salon • May 16, 2022

Housewives of a provident turn of mind filled their cupboards with treacle as a medicine for bad air, and with home-made plasters called Flos Unguentorum for the rheumatics and musk- balls to smell.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White