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.
It has created safe harbors—guidance for the prudent process that is required for the exercise of fiduciary duty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 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
"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
Looking at its daily chart, losing the 200-day simple moving average is not a crime, as many prudent stops are placed at this long-term secular line.
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
“It would be much more prudent for you to accept one of the matches from up north.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
