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."
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. 2002We 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, 1992Prudent 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, 1989Since 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 WebThe negative aspects of automation, such as the impact on employment, customer experience, and community well-being, may suggest a methodical transition to some level of automation is prudent.—Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 In fact, due to declining student enrollment, the Ocean View School District School Board, last year, made the tough, yet financially prudent decision, to close one of its four middle schools.—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024 Those companies have instead are now trying to keep the ICE engine around a bit longer and have decided that combining the mills with some sort of electrical help is the most prudent way forward.—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2024 The Biden administration, for example, has thus far declined an invitation from Bogotá to observe its negotiations with the ELN—a move that now seems prudent, since those talks are faltering.—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prudent
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
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