prudent

What it means

1. Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct.

   It is prudent to consult a physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.

   2 more examples

   Moſes,[…]eſtabliſht a grave and prudent Law,[…].

   1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC, page 26

   He did not hesitate what to do. It would be prudent to continue on to Omaha, for it would be dangerous to return to the train, which the Indians might still be engaged in pillaging.

   1864, Jules Verne, chapter 30, in Around the World in 80 Days, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2012

   Synonyms: careful, considerate, discreet, alert, attentive, careful, cautelous, cautious · Antonyms: careless, cursory, derelict, heedless, irregardless, irrespective, lash, lax

2. Practically wise, judicious, shrewd.

   His prudent career moves reliably brought him to the top.

   2 more examples

   A prudent man foreſeeth the euill, and hideth himſelfe: but the ſimple paſſe on, and are puniſhed.

   New International Version translation: The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 22:3–3, column 2

   The history of cast iron in railway bridges is much more grimly chequered. Brunel's misgivings were proved prudent, tragically, in the 1879 failure of Thomas Bouch's Tay bridge (once a monument to cast iron, now a memorial to many lives lost).

   2025 March 5, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Remembering Brunel's timber viaducts”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 60

   Synonyms: astute, clairvoyant, deep, frood, grounded, judicious, oracular, perspicacious · Antonyms: asinine, balmy, barmy, bedaft, loony, daft, derpy, dim-headed

3. Frugal; economical; not extravagant.

   Only prudent expenditure may provide quality within a restrictive budget.

   Synonyms: abstemious, canny, chary, moderate, cheap, close with a buck, economic, economical · Antonyms: extravagant, extravagant, improvident, imprudent, lavish, loose-handed, prodigal, profligate

In a sentence

It is prudent to consult a physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Where it comes from

1. Latinprūdēns
2. Old Frenchprudent
3. Middle Englishprudent
4. Englishprudent

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.