prudential means characterised by the use of prudence; arising from careful thought or deliberation. It carries an Arena rating of 1634, earned across 35 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, prudential ranks #3,156 of 17,136 for Most Malleable Words, #5,701 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #6,810 of 17,132 for Most Beautiful Words, #7,491 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
prudential is pronounced /pɹuːˈdɛn.ʃəl/.
Why “prudential” is a great word
PRUDENTIAL — [Adjective] Characterized by, resulting from, or exercising careful thought and foresight, especially in practical matters. From Latin prūdentia ("foresight, sagacity") + the English adjectival suffix -al. Unlike "prudent," which describes an inherent quality of wisdom, or "cautious," which denotes a general aversion to risk, prudential denotes the calculated, systemic architecture of that foresight. It is the unsexy but robust actuarial table, the strategic reserve of grain in a silo, and the evacuation plan reviewed annually in a sunlit, empty office. It is the unromantic framework that keeps the world from breaking, maintained by those who have seen enough to fear what they cannot see.
Etymology
From Latin prudentia + -al.
adj
- Characterised by the use of prudence; arising from careful thought or deliberation.e.g.“a prudential line of conduct” — 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […],
- Of a person: exercising prudence; cautious.
- Advisory; superintending or executive.e.g.“a prudential committee”
noun
- A matter requiring prudence.e.g.“I believe few men knew more of the art of policy and self-interested prudentials, but never man so little practised them.” — 1853, George Godfrey Cunningham, A History of England in the Lives of Englishmen, volume 2, page 426:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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