Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Providing for future needs or events.
  • adjective Frugal; economical.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them; forecasting; cautious; prudent in preparing for future exigencies; having an anticipatory perception of something: sometimes followed by of.
  • Frugal; economical.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them; prudent in preparing for future exigencies; cautious; economical; -- sometimes followed by of

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Possessing, exercising, or demonstrating great care and consideration for the future; foresightly.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective careful in regard to your own interests
  • adjective providing carefully for the future

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Latin prōvidēns, prōvident-, present participle of prōvidēre, to provide for; see provide.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin providens, providentis, p.pr. of providere: compare French provident. See provide, and compare prudent.

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Examples

  • Now these benefit clubs are also called provident societies, and a very good name for them.

    Twenty-Five Village Sermons Charles Kingsley 1847

  • You become members of them, because you are prudent, or provident, that is, because you are careful, and look forward to a rainy day.

    Twenty-Five Village Sermons Charles Kingsley 1847

  • He said African National Congress and Cosatu leaders were withdrawing union funds safely invested in schemes such as provident funds, to buy shares in conglomerates.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1998

  • New Delhi: The revised draft Direct Tax Code has brought cheers to the taxpayers by rolling back the proposal to tax long-term savings such as provident fund and the

    The Financial Express ENS Economic Bureau 2010

  • Charitably supported free dispensaries and free outpatient treatment by London hospitals were condemned for holding up the development of 'provident' habits.

    Latest news from the public and voluntary sectors, including health, children, local government and social care, plus SocietyGuardian jobs | guardian.co.uk 2010

  • The tax code has also suggested and exempt-exempt-tax (EET) taxation regime for existing schemes such as provident fund.

    The Economic Times 2010

  • The tax code has also suggested and exempt-exempt-tax (EET) taxation regime for existing schemes such as provident fund.

    The Economic Times 2010

  • DNA that they were given Rs10 lakh apart from the obvious dues such as provident funds, gratuity and insurance cover.

    Daily News & Analysis 2009

  • The government-notified minimum wage per day to plantation workers is Rs 103 per day, but the growers say they end up paying up to Rs 160, including statutory benefits such as provident fund and bonus.

    The Financial Express 2009

  • Being provident (and lazy, for I have learned that it takes time and labour to manufacture home-made bombs), I pinched off the live end of the fuse in my hand.

    CHAPTER XLVII 2010

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