improvident

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈprä-və-dənt How to pronounce improvident (audio)
Definition of improvidentnext
as in careless
not thinking about and providing for the future the improvident view that the wearing away of the ozone layer need not concern us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of improvident So, yes, the judiciary can be a bulwark against improvident prosecutions. — John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026 Then, there’s the waste that results from improvident eating habits. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 23 June 2025 Unsurprisingly, Peter proves to be nasty, brutish and improvident. — Joanne Kaufman, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022 The history of emerging markets is full of imprudent investors as well as improvident borrowers. — The Economist, 5 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvident
  1. careless
  2. reckless
  3. wasteful
  4. shortsighted
  5. extravagant
Adjective
  • Two other teens were cited for careless driving and performing risky stunts in a retail parking lot.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Jaynes pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage of more than $10,000 and a traffic violation of careless and prohibited driving.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2026
Definition of careless
Adjective
  • In NyKayla’s case, prosecutors could only reach a meaningful sentence by charging the gun’s owner with reckless endangerment after a child was already dead.
    — Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Groups of kids, some as young as elementary school age, tear through our streets at reckless speeds with no regard for pedestrians.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reckless
Adjective
  • According to last year’s audit, the school’s wasteful spending included roughly $2 million on employee trips to San Diego, $80,000 for travel to Maui and $2,600 for a trip to France.
    — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • People-helping organizations that serve the most vulnerable in our communities don’t intend to be wasteful.
    — Ryan Dewey Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of wasteful
Adjective
  • Foley, however, cautioned that trying to pinpoint any one factor of disease growth is probably shortsighted.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The notion that families should provide care without additional support is unrealistic and shortsighted, especially for families of people with highly complex medical or behavioral needs.
    — Barbara Merrill, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shortsighted
Adjective
  • Despite all of this potential economic turmoil on the Canadian side, Carney still concluded that at the end of the day, the cost of acceding to Washington’s extravagant demands was higher than the cost of job losses and strain on a key industry.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Their journey leads them through an extravagant amusement park built on the grounds of a drug lord’s former estate.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of extravagant

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Cite this Entry

“Improvident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvident. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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