IMPROVIDENT Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

improvident

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈprä-və-dənt

Definition of improvident

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

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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

Adjective

His belief is not that relationships should become less professional or emotionally careless.

— K.H. Koehler, Freep.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Two other teens were cited for careless driving and performing risky stunts in a retail parking lot.

— Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 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

Take a look at who is spending tax money responsibly — on ballfields, water-quality projects, help for victims of crime, no-kill animal shelters and other popular priorities — and who is being wasteful.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Republican response But conservatives said those policies inflated enrollment by attracting fraudulent and wasteful coverage.

— Christine Mai-Duc, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of wasteful

Adjective

The two murals lasted until the ’80s and ’90s, and replacing them was a mistake that’s only looked more shortsighted over time.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 25 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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improvidence

improvident

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“Improvident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvident. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of improvident

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