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
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.
"Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one," he said.
From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026
Barkin stated holding interest rates steady in March was prudent due to elevated uncertainty and a foggy outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Avoiding chip stocks is prudent right now, but it can be tricky.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
"I don't know how long the conflict is going to go on so I'm trying to be prudent," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
It seemed prudent, those early days out of the tunnel.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
