Definition of prudent
prudently
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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.
Recent Examples of prudent from the Web
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For Trump to ignore all that and repeatedly trash-talk his attorney general because of his prudent recusal over the Russia investigation is a pretty clear indication that the president is not just distracted by the probe, but intensely fears it.
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Premera, Regence and Kaiser all say their surpluses are prudent.
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Reckless expansion by some firms, in an industry which overvalues market share, has hurt more prudent competitors.
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Still, the future U.S. President thought it prudent to give the government minister overseeing the project a call.
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Even backing away from that $47 million that Dwyane Wade eventually took over two years from the Chicago Bulls last summer now appears prudent on the Heat's part (a total that instead got the Heat four seasons of Tyler Johnson).
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Gone are the lower standards of care, now replaced by the highest standard of care — known under the law as the prudent expert rule.
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Re-signing Meeks would be the kind of prudent move Weltman and Hammond seem intent on making.
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Nevertheless, Ahab exacts total obedience from his ragtag men, with one exception: his prudent first mate, Starbuck (the superb Kareem Bandealy), who though firm and unyielding to his last breath is nevertheless undone by Ahab's preternatural fury.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prudent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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."
Origin and Etymology of prudent
Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prudent-, prudens, contraction of provident-, providens — more at provident
Synonym Discussion of prudent
PRUDENT Defined for English Language Learners
prudent
playDefinition of prudent for English Language Learners
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: having or showing careful good judgment
PRUDENT Defined for Kids
prudent
playDefinition of prudent for Students
: wise and careful in action or judgment
prudently
adverbLaw Dictionary
prudent
playLegal Definition of prudent
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence
prudently
adverbLearn More about prudent
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See words that rhyme with prudent Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prudent Spanish Central: Translation of prudent Nglish: Translation of prudent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prudent for Arabic speakers
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