prudently
adverb
Did you know?
It Is Prudent to Read Up on This Word History
Prudent arrived in Middle English around the 14th century and traces back, by way of Middle French, to the Latin verb providēre, meaning "to see ahead, foresee, provide (for). "Providēre" combines pro-, meaning "before, and vidēre, meaning "to see, and it may look familiar to you; it is also the source of our "provide," "provident," "provision," and "improvise." "Vidēre" also has many English offspring, including "evident," "supervise," "video," and "vision."
Examples of prudent in a Sentence
An endless war is not always the most moral or the most prudent course of action.
—
Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 2 Sept. 2002
We missed the Mass for St. Rose of Lima, who, though prudent, had failed to be martyred and was therefore only second-string.
—Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992
Prudent burners take several precautions. Burning one of two bordering fields, they wet the edge of one or the other, usually the one being burned, to prevent the flames from jumping.
—Alec Wilkinson, Big Sugar, 1989
Since the inexplicable power of a magnetized needle to "find" the north smacked of black magic … . For many decades the prudent sea captain consulted his compass secretly.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He always listened to her prudent advice.
You made a prudent choice.
Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 2 Sept. 2002
We missed the Mass for St. Rose of Lima, who, though prudent, had failed to be martyred and was therefore only second-string.
—Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992
Prudent burners take several precautions. Burning one of two bordering fields, they wet the edge of one or the other, usually the one being burned, to prevent the flames from jumping.
—Alec Wilkinson, Big Sugar, 1989
Since the inexplicable power of a magnetized needle to "find" the north smacked of black magic … . For many decades the prudent sea captain consulted his compass secretly.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He always listened to her prudent advice.
You made a prudent choice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adding another inside linebacker or two would be prudent, and Michigan has players on the board who could fill that need.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Further, the company has been prudent in allocating its resources towards innovation and marketing focused on its flagship product, unlike big conglomerates who despite having deep pockets are unable to focus on a particular niche.
—Ankita Dhawan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Given his army’s inexperience and ill-discipline, the enemy’s numerical superiority, the lack of vital supplies, and his long-standing desire of adding Texas to the federal union, his withdrawal strategy was the most prudent option.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Banning any emulsifiers that might be found to cause serious harm would be prudent, but then foods that contain them would have to be reformulated—a costly, time-consuming endeavor.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prudent
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.
Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Further, the company has been prudent in allocating its resources towards innovation and marketing focused on its flagship product, unlike big conglomerates who despite having deep pockets are unable to focus on a particular niche.
—Ankita Dhawan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Given his army’s inexperience and ill-discipline, the enemy’s numerical superiority, the lack of vital supplies, and his long-standing desire of adding Texas to the federal union, his withdrawal strategy was the most prudent option.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Banning any emulsifiers that might be found to cause serious harm would be prudent, but then foods that contain them would have to be reformulated—a costly, time-consuming endeavor.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prudent
Cite this Entry
“Prudent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudent. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
prudent
adjective
pru·dent
ˈprüd-ᵊnt 
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence
prudently
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share