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 WebSince admission is free and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis for Friday night’s two, no-reservations shows, an early arrival is prudent.
8 and 10 p.m. Friday.—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024 The appeals court is scheduled to answer the question of whether Winmill’s statewide injunction was the correct and prudent course while the lawsuit proceeds.—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 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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