Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Careful or wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense.
  • adjective Characterized by or resulting from care or wisdom in practical matters or in planning for the future.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Thoughtful; judicious; sagacious; sensible.
  • Careful of self-interest; provident; politic; worldly-wise.
  • Discreet; circumspect; decorous.
  • Judicious; wise; prudential.
  • Synonyms Careful, circumspect, etc. See cautious.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct; practically wise; judicious; careful; discreet; sensible; -- opposed to rash; ; dictated or directed by prudence or wise forethought; evincing prudence.
  • adjective Frugal; economical; not extravagant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct; careful, discreet, sensible; -- opposed to rash; directed by prudence or wise forethought; evincing prudence;
  • adjective Practically wise, judicious, shrewd
  • adjective Frugal; economical; not extravagant;

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin prūdēns, prūdent-, contraction of prōvidēns, present participle of prōvidēre, to provide for; see provide.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Middle French prudent, from Latin prūdēns, contracted from prōvidēns ("foresight") (English providence), the past participle of prōvideō ("I forsee"). Unrelated to prude.

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Examples

  • "The word prudent will have a very elastic meaning in 2012," said Stephen Green, a Hong Kong-based economist with Standard Chartered Plc.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • The term prudent "means whatever the appropriate officials want it to mean," Straszheim said, adding that China may aim to contract the money supply and restrict new lending in order to cool the economy.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • The term prudent "means whatever the appropriate officials want it to mean," Straszheim said, adding that China may aim to contract the money supply and restrict new lending in order to cool the economy.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • The term prudent "means whatever the appropriate officials want it to mean," Straszheim said, adding that China may aim to contract the money supply and restrict new lending in order to cool the economy.

    Reuters: Top News 2010

  • He indicated all that is not yet in place, but the alliance is doing what he called "prudent planning."

    NATO Considers Options for Humanitarian Intervention in Libya 2011

  • The third and continuing wave is what I call prudent walkaways -- people who can afford the payments for a while longer, by exhausting their 401Ks, childrens' college funds and other savings -- but are now choosing to default before they are financially ruined.

    Nicholas Carroll: The Accelerating Shift in Attitudes Towards Home Walkaways Nicholas Carroll 2011

  • He indicated all that is not yet in place, but the alliance is doing what he called "prudent planning."

    NATO Considers Options for Humanitarian Intervention in Libya 2011

  • He indicated all that is not yet in place, but the alliance is doing what he called "prudent planning."

    NATO Considers Options for Humanitarian Intervention in Libya 2011

  • FEMA very definitely leaning forward, being what it calls prudent, coordinating planning for evacuation, shelter and emergency operations, with the states and with other agencies of the federal government.

    CNN Transcript Aug 20, 2007 2007

  • I know that the Pentagon has done what they call prudent -- has urged prudent contingency planning and said anyone who can get out safely should get.

    CNN Transcript Jul 17, 2006 2006

Comments

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  • Why, to be sure, a tale of scandal is as fatal to the credit of a prudent lady of her stamp as a fever is generally to those of the strongest constitutions.

    Sheridan, School for Scandal

    January 6, 2008

  • it's prudent to update your registration when you live downstairs from a state trooper...

    February 17, 2009

  • i need an example for prudent

    October 1, 2009

  • this word seems werid to the english laguage

    October 1, 2009