prudence
noun
the quality or fact of being prudent, or wise in practical affairs, as by providing for the future.
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prudence
1 American
[prood-ns]
/ ˈprud ns /
Prudence
2
American
[prood-ns]
/ ˈprud ns /
noun
prudence
British
/ ˈpruːdəns /
noun
-
caution in practical affairs; discretion or circumspection
-
care taken in the management of one's resources
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consideration for one's own interests
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the condition or quality of being prudent
Synonym Usage
Prudence, calculation, foresight, forethought imply attempted provision against possible contingencies. Prudence is care, caution, and good judgment, as well as wisdom in looking ahead: sober prudence in handling one's affairs. Calculation suggests a disposition to get a large return for as small an outlay as possible and willingness to benefit at the expense of others: cold calculation. Foresight implies a prudent looking ahead rather far into the future: clear foresight in planning. Forethought emphasizes the adequacy of preparation for the future: Careful forethought helped him deal with the emergency.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prudence
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prūdentia. See prudent, -ence
Explanation
Use the noun prudence to describe sensible decisions about everyday life, like the prudence of people who spend their money wisely, saving as much as they can. Prudence can also describe the skill of side-stepping trouble or embarrassment, like having the prudence to avoid risks or the prudence to prepare for the unexpected, like packing a change of clothes in case the weather changes or your dinner reservations turn out to be at a fancy restaurant. Prudence comes from the Latin word prudentia, which means "foresight, sagacity."
Vocabulary lists containing prudence
The Declaration of Independence
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It is whether prudence would still be required in lawmaking, whether legislation passed in one Congress would remain law in the next.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
A sense of direction, confidence and optimism, alongside promises of prudence, can go some distance.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Greenspan, in a 1985 letter to regulators and in testimony to Congress, attested to Lincoln’s financial strength and the prudence of its lending program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
In a letter to the Labor Department, the CFP Board warned that the proposal’s prescribed process and safe harbor “create a serious risk that prudence will be reduced to a check-the-box exercise.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
“I am not speaking of its prudence; merely its probability.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Dear Prudence fields a letter from “Done With Disney,” a spouse who left a Disney Adult only to find his new partner’s secret obsession is … Harry Potter.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2026
Prudence was clearly not a priority, given that reshoots were ordered when production discovered a clause in Jackson accuser Jordan Chandler’s legal settlement that barred him from being mentioned or depicted in a film.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Prudence is in short supply, and it is this very scarce resource that requires us “to block the roads to hell before building the stairways to heaven.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Elisabeth and her half-sister Prudence are said to be concentrating on moving on.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025
The tight little bud that was the real Prudence had steadily opened its petals in the sunshine of Kit’s friendship and Hannah’s gentle affection.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
