provident

American  

[prov-i-duhnt] / ˈprɒv ɪ dənt /

adjective

1. having or showing foresight; providing 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

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

Beijing is ramping up efforts to prop up the distressed property market by easing mortgage rate floors, cutting the interest rate on provident fund loans and offering individual income tax rebates for home buyers.

From Reuters • Oct. 8, 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