improvident
/im'prɔvidənt/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not providing for the future; lacking foresight or thrift: Describes a person or action that does not plan or save for future needs, often leading to wastefulness or future hardship.
- Not given careful consideration; ill-considered: Describes an action or decision made without proper thought or planning.
Usage
The adjective "improvident" is typically used to describe a person's character, habits, or specific actions. It carries a negative connotation, implying criticism for a lack of prudence or foresight. It is a formal word.
Examples
- Describing a person's character:
- His improvident spending left him with no savings for retirement.
- She was too improvident to worry about tomorrow's problems.
- Describing an action or decision:
- The government's improvident policies drained the national reserves.
- It was an improvident decision to sell the property at such a low price.
Advanced Usage
- "Improvident of": This construction can be used to specify what resource is being wasted or not provided for.
- He was improvident of both his time and his money. (Formal/Literary)
Variants and Related Words
- Improvidence (noun): The quality or fact of being improvident.
- His financial troubles were a direct result of his improvidence.
- Improvidently (adverb): In an improvident manner.
- He had improvidently spent his entire inheritance in one year.
Synonyms
- Thriftless: Lacking thrift; wasteful.
- Short-sighted: Lacking foresight.
- Prodigal: Wastefully extravagant.
- Imprudent: Not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash.
- Ill-advised: Unwise or foolish.
Antonyms
- Provident: Making or indicative of timely preparation for the future; frugal.
- Thrifty: Using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.
- Prudent: Acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
- Farsighted: Having or showing foresight and good judgment.
Idioms and Phrases
While there are no common idioms using the exact word "improvident," the concept is central to many expressions about waste and poor planning, such as "spending like there's no tomorrow" or "eating the seed corn."
Adjective
-
not given careful consideration
-
ill-considered actions often result in disaster
-
an ill-judged attempt
-
-
not provident; not providing for the future
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