prudent

adjective

pru·​dent ˈprü-dᵊnt How to pronounce prudent (audio)
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence: such as
a
: marked by wisdom or judiciousness
prudent advice
b
: shrewd in the management of practical affairs
prudent investors
c
: marked by circumspection : discreet
prudently adverb

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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."

Choose the Right Synonym for prudent

wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment.

wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.

wise beyond his tender years

sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web That’s common, and prudent, while endeavoring to produce a strong backup. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 Seven decades of careful and prudent aging has resulted in the creation of something that is simply magnificent -. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2023 There is a growing recognition that small banks are better positioned to maintain the trust and loyalty of their borrowers because their interactions with customers are more frequent and their investments more prudent, particularly in their local communities. Christos Makridis, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023 Is ordering tools off Amazon that will be used to break into a high-security apartment complex really prudent? Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2023 The studio has decided that spreading out its content is a more prudent strategy. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023 Their support is seen as critical to convincing other skeptical Democrats that enabling a peace deal between two of the most powerful countries in the Middle East is a prudent move, particularly when China has engaged in more assertive diplomatic and economic efforts in the region. Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023 Consequently, senior officials in the presidential administration, taking cues from Putin’s cool demeanor and aversion to panic, often convinced themselves that everything was fine and that their anxiety would be more harmful than prudent. Tatiana Stanovaya, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2023 The most prudent thing to do is wait and see what impact all the record increases to date have had. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prudent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prudent-, prudens, contraction of provident-, providens — more at provident

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prudent was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near prudent

Cite this Entry

“Prudent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudent. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

prudent

adjective
pru·​dent ˈprüd-ᵊnt How to pronounce prudent (audio)
1
: clever and careful in action and judgment
it's prudent to save some of your money
2
3
: frugal
prudently adverb

Legal Definition

prudent

adjective
pru·​dent ˈprüd-ᵊnt How to pronounce prudent (audio)
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence
prudently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on prudent

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