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
Since sector performance generally rotates as the economy moves through different phases, broad sector exposure is a prudent hedge against unpredictable shifts in the market.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Magic Mountain crews had hoped to fix Superman: Escape from Krypton when the coaster closed for maintenance in September, but the necessary parts weren’t readily available and the most prudent option was to permanently close the ride, according to Harris.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
Not all stocks will weather the storm equally, but undervalued, dividend-paying companies—particularly those with strong balance sheets and a track record of prudent capital discipline—are well-positioned to navigate the turbulence.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Her action was no surprise—judges don’t tend to be well disposed toward efforts to bump them off cases, which is why prudent litigants are wary of making such requests.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prudent
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True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Magic Mountain crews had hoped to fix Superman: Escape from Krypton when the coaster closed for maintenance in September, but the necessary parts weren’t readily available and the most prudent option was to permanently close the ride, according to Harris.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
Not all stocks will weather the storm equally, but undervalued, dividend-paying companies—particularly those with strong balance sheets and a track record of prudent capital discipline—are well-positioned to navigate the turbulence.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Her action was no surprise—judges don’t tend to be well disposed toward efforts to bump them off cases, which is why prudent litigants are wary of making such requests.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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Legal Definition
prudent
adjective
pru·dent
ˈprüd-ᵊnt 
: characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence
prudently
adverb
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