adjective
-
discreet or cautious in managing one's activities; circumspect
-
practical and careful in providing for the future
-
exercising good judgment or common sense
Other Word Forms
- nonprudent adjective
- preprudent adjective
- prudently adverb
- superprudent adjective
- unprudent adjective
Etymology
Origin of prudent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prūdent- (stem of prūdēns ), contraction of prōvidēns provident
Explanation
Describe an action as prudent if it is the wise thing to do under the existing circumstances. If you're getting in trouble, it is probably prudent to keep your mouth closed and just listen. If you show good and careful judgment when handling practical matters, you can be described as prudent. Similarly, a wise and well-thought-through decision or action can be called prudent. The word comes from a contracted form of the Latin prōvidēns, from the verb "to foresee." The English word provident, "wise in planning for the future," is the non-contracted descendent of the same Latin root.
Vocabulary lists containing prudent
100 Top "SAT" Words
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The Hobbit
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Grade 10, List 4
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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.
With less pressure to meet quarterly targets, companies could focus more on the investment, innovation and prudent risk-taking that help drive long-term growth.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
The committee’s authority is limited to very uncommon circumstances in which there are no “reasonable and prudent alternatives” that would avoid jeopardizing a listed species or impair a species’ critical habitat.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
If that’s what the dining public is looking for, then I think it would be a prudent thing to make smaller portions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
So a prudent investor can buy the tech fund now—or purchase a handful of individual names that look ready to drive the sector higher.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
In the end, I decided the most prudent moment in the day would be as I served afternoon tea in the drawing room.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
