Etymology

prudent

pru·dent
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Today it means: Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct. Full definition →

Middle English prudent ← Old French prudent ← Latin prūdēns
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromprūdēns
  2. Old French · derived fromprudent
  3. Middle English · inherited fromprudent
  4. English todayprudent

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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.