prudent means sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct. It carries an Arena rating of 1570, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, prudent ranks #2,265 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #4,619 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #5,110 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #6,998 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
prudent is pronounced /ˈpɹuː.dənt/.
Why “prudent” is a great word
Acting with or showing care and thought for the future, especially by being circumspect, judicious, and economical. From Middle English prudent, from Old French prudent, from Latin prūdēns, a contraction of prōvidēns ("foreseeing, providing"), present participle of prōvidēre ("to foresee, to provide for"), from prō- ("ahead") + vidēre ("to see"); first recorded in English between 1350 and 1400. Unlike "imprudent," which rushes headlong into consequence, or "extravagant," which scatters resources to the wind, prudent is the quiet calculation of a hand held over a flame before testing the bathwater. It is the cellar stocked against winter, the words swallowed in anger's heat, and the umbrella packed on a cloudless morning—the foresight not of grand design, but of small, enduring safeguards against the chill of what might come.
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.
adj
- Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct.e.g.“It is prudent to consult a physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.”
- Practically wise, judicious, shrewd.e.g.“His prudent career moves reliably brought him to the top.”
- Frugal; economical; not extravagant.e.g.“Only prudent expenditure may provide quality within a restrictive budget.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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