provident
Americanadjective
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providing for future needs
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exercising foresight in the management of one's affairs or resources
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characterized by or proceeding from foresight
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing provident
Warm-up, List 4
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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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.
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
Wickremesinghe said the government would safeguard local banks and employee provident funds it has borrowed from if need be.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023
"The interest rate cut for housing provident fund loans targets home buyers with rigid housing demand," said Yan Yuejin, research director of Shanghai-based E-house China Research and Development Institute.
From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2022
He commuted his pension and provident fund to buy a Bharat bottle-sealing machine.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
