prudently
adverb
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It Is Prudent to Read Up on This Word History
Prudent arrived in Middle English around the 14th century and traces back, by way of Middle French, to the Latin verb providēre, meaning "to see ahead, foresee, provide (for). "Providēre" combines pro-, meaning "before, and vidēre, meaning "to see, and it may look familiar to you; it is also the source of our "provide," "provident," "provision," and "improvise." "Vidēre" also has many English offspring, including "evident," "supervise," "video," and "vision."
Examples of prudent in a Sentence
An endless war is not always the most moral or the most prudent course of action.
—
Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 2 Sept. 2002
We missed the Mass for St. Rose of Lima, who, though prudent, had failed to be martyred and was therefore only second-string.
—Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992
Prudent burners take several precautions. Burning one of two bordering fields, they wet the edge of one or the other, usually the one being burned, to prevent the flames from jumping.
—Alec Wilkinson, Big Sugar, 1989
Since the inexplicable power of a magnetized needle to "find" the north smacked of black magic … . For many decades the prudent sea captain consulted his compass secretly.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He always listened to her prudent advice.
You made a prudent choice.
Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 2 Sept. 2002
We missed the Mass for St. Rose of Lima, who, though prudent, had failed to be martyred and was therefore only second-string.
—Darryl Pinckney, High Cotton, 1992
Prudent burners take several precautions. Burning one of two bordering fields, they wet the edge of one or the other, usually the one being burned, to prevent the flames from jumping.
—Alec Wilkinson, Big Sugar, 1989
Since the inexplicable power of a magnetized needle to "find" the north smacked of black magic … . For many decades the prudent sea captain consulted his compass secretly.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He always listened to her prudent advice.
You made a prudent choice.
Recent Examples on the Web
If comparable roles are scarce or offer significantly lower pay, retiring may be prudent.
—Andrew Whalen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
And being wrong, or holding onto ideas longer than data suggests is prudent, could lead to building expensive instruments that may not add much new knowledge to the world, if they are not engineered to pursue what the universe actually has on offer.
—Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
To prove negligence, injured patients generally must show their care fell below what a reasonably prudent doctor with similar training would have done.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Musk framed the move as an act of prudent restraint that would help avert World War III.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prudent
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Andrew Whalen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
And being wrong, or holding onto ideas longer than data suggests is prudent, could lead to building expensive instruments that may not add much new knowledge to the world, if they are not engineered to pursue what the universe actually has on offer.
—Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
To prove negligence, injured patients generally must show their care fell below what a reasonably prudent doctor with similar training would have done.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Musk framed the move as an act of prudent restraint that would help avert World War III.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prudent
Cite this Entry
“Prudent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudent. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
prudent
adjective
pru·dent
ˈprüd-ᵊnt 
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence
prudently
adverb
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