adjective
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discreet or cautious in managing one's activities; circumspect
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practical and careful in providing for the future
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exercising good judgment or common sense
Other Word Forms
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.
In essence, it is this: How specific does a lawsuit have to be before a fiduciary’s documented, reasoned judgment gets treated as a legal liability instead of prudent diversification?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Take that dichotomy between the self-importance running like a virus through young men and the prudent actions taken by The Cornell Daily Sun staff.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
“While we continue to navigate some challenging dynamics, we are taking a prudent approach with our revised full-year outlook,” Meghan Frank, Lululemon’s interim co-CEO and chief financial officer, said in the company’s earnings release.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
His prudent approach is to avoid a single grand plan and embrace a multifaceted strategy that borrows pertinent insights from a variety of approaches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Harry, who had no grudge against Krum, shook hands; then, feeling that it would be prudent to remove Krum from Ron’s vicinity, offered to show him his seat.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
