improvident

  • 1Improvident — Im*prov i*dent, a. [Pref. im not + provident: cf. L. improvidus. See {Provident}, and cf. {Imprudent}.] Not provident; wanting foresight or forethought; not foreseeing or providing for the future; negligent; thoughtless; as, an improvident man.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2improvident — I adjective brash, careless, dissipated, extravagant, happy go lucky, hasty, headlong, heedless, improvidus, imprudens, imprudent, impulsive, incautious, incautus, indiscreet, injudicious, lacking foresight, lax, losel, neglectful, negligent,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 3improvident — (adj.) 1510s, from IM (Cf. im ) not + PROVIDENT (Cf. provident). It retains a stronger connection with the provide aspect of L. providere. Related: Improvidently …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4improvident — [adj] careless, spendthrift extravagant, heedless, imprudent, inconsiderate, lavish, negligent, prodigal, profligate, profuse, reckless, shiftless, shortsighted, thoughtless, thriftless, uneconomical, unthrifty, wasteful; concepts 334,542 Ant.… …

    New thesaurus

  • 5improvident — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ lacking care for the future. DERIVATIVES improvidence noun improvidently adverb …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6improvident — [im präv′ə dənt] adj. [< L improvidus < in , not + providus, foreseeing, cautious + providere: see PROVIDE] failing to provide for the future; lacking foresight or thrift improvidence n. improvidently adv …

    English World dictionary

  • 7improvident — adjective Etymology: Late Latin improvident , improvidens, from Latin in + provident , providens provident Date: 1514 not provident ; not foreseeing and providing for the future • improvidently adverb …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 8improvident — adjective formal too careless to save any money or to plan for the future: the generous but improvident welfare provision of the 1960s improvidence noun (U) improvidently adverb …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 9improvident — adjective one consequence of a healthy economy may be a generation of improvident youth Syn: spendthrift, thriftless, wasteful, prodigal, profligate, extravagant, lavish, free spending, immoderate, excessive; imprudent, irresponsible, careless,… …

    Thesaurus of popular words

  • 10improvident — im•prov•i•dent [[t]ɪmˈprɒv ɪ dənt[/t]] adj. not provident; neglecting to provide for future needs: The improvident worker saved no money[/ex] • Etymology: 1505–15 im•prov′i•dence, n. im•prov′i•dent•ly, adv …

    From formal English to slang