prudent

adjective

pru·​dent ˈprü-dᵊnt 

: 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

d

: provident, frugal

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."

Synonyms

• discreet
• intelligent
• judgmatic
• judgmatical
• judicious

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

This commitment to financial discipline and a corporate culture of creativity, innovation, smart experimentation and prudent risk taking is the key to unlocking a firm’s full potential, regardless of size. —Jeffrey Bartel, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

So rather than just hand it out to whoever asks, prudent people do some research, then decide where their money would be most effective. —Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

Here, the Arkansas native discusses the importance of diversifying your business (psst: books deals and licensed lines don’t cut it) and shares prudent insights to get you there. —Mel Studach, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2024

For the most part, media outlets have also been prudent in their coverage of disinformation. —Thomas Rid, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2024

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

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Kids Definition

prudent

adjective

pru·​dent ˈprüd-ᵊnt 

1

: clever and careful in action and judgment

it's prudent to save some of your money

2

: discreet

3

: frugal

prudently adverb

Legal Definition

prudent

adjective

pru·​dent ˈprüd-ᵊnt 

: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence

prudently adverb