Dictionary

prudent en · ADJ

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹuː.dənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
(California, Southern) audio
/ˈpɹu.dənt/ (Canada, General-American)
/ˈpɹʉ.dənt/ (Scotland)
pro͞o′dənt
/ˈpɹʉd.ʌnt/ (Scotland)
/ˈpɹʉː.dənt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English prudent, from Old French prudent, from Latin prūdēns, contracted from prōvidēns (“foresight”) (English providence), the present participle of prōvideō (“to forsee; to provide for”). Unrelated to prude. Doublet of provident. Displaced native Old English glēaw.

Meanings

Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct.
- It is prudent to consult a physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.
- He did not hesitate what to do. It would be prudent to continue on to Omaha, for it would be dangerous to return to the train, which the Indians might still be engaged in pillaging. 1864, Jules Verne, chapter 30, in Around the World in 80 Days, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2012:
- Moſes,[…]eſtabliſht a grave and prudent Law,[…]. 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC, page 26:
Practically wise, judicious, shrewd.
- His prudent career moves reliably brought him to the top.
- A prudent man foreſeeth the euill, and hideth himſelfe: but the ſimple paſſe on, and are puniſhed. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 22:3–3, column 2:
- The history of cast iron in railway bridges is much more grimly chequered. Brunel's misgivings were proved prudent, tragically, in the 1879 failure of Thomas Bouch's Tay bridge (once a monument to cast iron, now a memorial to many lives lost). 2025 March 5, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Remembering Brunel's timber viaducts”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 60:
Frugal; economical; not extravagant.
- Only prudent expenditure may provide quality within a restrictive budget.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most prudent	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more prudent	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Translations (100)

nl doordacht (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · pl oszczędny (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · ru расчётливый (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · mk пре́сметлив (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ka გონივრული (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · it prudente (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · gd glic (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · oc prudent (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · sv förtänksam (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · la cordātus (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · bg разсъдлив (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · bg пресметлив (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · nl economisch (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · mk ште́длив (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · ka დამზოგველი (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · ja 慎重 (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · da fornuftig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · pt prudente (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · sv klok (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ka გონივრული (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · tr ihtiyatlı (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · mi matawhāiti (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · gd glic (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ka მომჭირნე (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · tr önlemli (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · pl przezorny (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ca prudent (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · grc εὔβουλος (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · pl roztropny (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ru благоразу́мный (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · bg благоразумен (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · tr tutumlu (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · tr tedbirli (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ru осторо́жный (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · bg предпазлив (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · es criterioso (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · nl voorzichtig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · cmn 謹慎 /谨慎 (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · mk пре́тпазлив (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · grc ἔμφρων (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · fi harkitsevainen (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · es cauto (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · arz حريص (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ka ყაირათიანი (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · mk ра́судлив (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · mi matawhāiti (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ar حَرِيص (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · ka გონებადამჯდარი (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · nl sluw (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · txb imassu (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · da tilrådelig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · sa कवि (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · mk благора́зумен (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · bg пестелив (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · pt prudente (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · grc πινυτός (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ru бережли́вый (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · grc φρόνιμος (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · eo prudenta (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · fi harkitsevainen (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · nl vooruitziend (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · de vorsichtig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · nl prudent (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · nl omzichtig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · nl beredeneerd (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · nb aktsom (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · de umsichtig (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · pt prudente (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · gl prudente (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · la prūdens (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · mk и́тар (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · tr sakıntılı (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · nl slim (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · tr ihtiyatlı (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · es prudente (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · mk шкрт (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · sv slug (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · gl prudente (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · nl zuinig (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · mk ра́судлив (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · fi viisas (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · la prūdens (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · sl preudaren (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ka გონებადამჯდარი (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · tr sakıngan (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ru проница́тельный (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ar حَكِيم (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · fi varovainen (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ka წინდახედული (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · grc ἔμφρων (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · cmn 慎重 (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · eo prudenta (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ru рассуди́тельный (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · ka წინდახედული (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · tr tedbirli (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · ar حَرِيص (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · es prudente (frugal; economical; not extravagant) · fi harkitsevainen (practically wise, judicious, shrewd) · gl prudente (sagacious in adapting means to ends) · es prudente (sagacious in adapting means to ends)

prudent en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

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Translations (100)