PROVIDENT Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

provident

adjective

ˈprä-və-dənt

Definition of provident

as in economical

careful in the management of money or resources it is possible to be provident without being miserly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cautious

having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future her provident measures kept us safe while we waited out the hurricane

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 provident The ordinance also recognizes domestic workers as formal workers and extends protections to employees of non-profit organizations, including eligibility for provident fund and pension schemes. — Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025 For example, many cities have begun allowing parents to help their children buy an apartment using their housing provident funds, a kind of compulsory saving program in China. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Its pilots are angry over not having received the company’s contribution towards their provident fund since 2020, even as pay cuts continue. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 13 July 2022 Social Security would likely be replaced also with a provident-fund system, basically a private retirement account with mandatory contributions, with backup provisions if this proves to be insufficient in old age. — Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021 That led to another announcement this spring, which prevented people from using BN(O) passports for the early withdrawal of mandatory provident funds (MPFs). — Michelle Toh and Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, 26 Aug. 2021 The deficits, however, demand a more provident approach to the ballooning defense budget (now larger than everything else in the federal discretionary budget combined). — Jessica T. Mathews, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for provident

Adjective

That concision is evident in an almost brutally economical edit and in sharp, precise writing which provides narrative elements and deftly sketches character before moving busily on.

— Caspar Salmon, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
The study, published in Scientific Reports, found that the most aggressive driving style generated far higher battery-aging stress than smoother, more economical driving.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of economical

Adjective

Another reason to be cautious about relying on AI is that crisis communications can pose critical legal risks for companies.

— Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Beijing is a source of crucial economic support for Iran but has walked a cautious diplomatic line amid the US-Iran war, keeping communications open with players on both sides.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cautious

Adjective

It can be stripped through re-saving or format conversion, which is why the two systems are meant to complement each other.

— Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Less saving and more investment mean more competitive bidding for funds and therefore higher interest rates.

— Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of saving

Adjective

Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.

— Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

The suit maintains that the commission’s denial does not identify any adverse impact to a wetland function or value, nor any feasible and prudent alternatives to address the Commission’s reasons for denial, in violation of state law, Conn.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
But the Court requires only four Justices to grant a case, and Brett Kavanaugh, whom Roberts had hoped would back his strategy of prudent avoidance, wouldn’t go along.

— Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of prudent

Adjective

Final Thoughts Powered by a faster processor and deeply integrated with proactive Gemini features, the Google Pixel Watch 5 transforms Wear OS into a truly intelligent assistant on your wrist.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
Instead, without the ball, United move into a proactive 4-2-4 that blocks off passing lanes through the middle.

— Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of proactive

Adjective

Private markets chronically undersave, leaving future generations with less capital than a farsighted society would choose to bequeath.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
In another farsighted plot point, Verne has his characters attempt a course-correction burn using firework-like rockets.

— Neil Oseman, Space.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of farsighted

Adjective

For many, a world with machines in charge can be hard to imagine without movies and books and their sometimes prescient visions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
My book was meant to highlight both the personal and societal issues of early literacy deprivation, while tracking the prescient issue of increasing screen time dumbing down and dehumanizing society.

— Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026

Definition of prescient

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“Provident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provident. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of provident

adjective

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