prudent
/ˈpɹu.dənt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.41 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Sagacious in adapting means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of conduct.
adj
adj
Frugal; economical; not extravagant.
Example Sentences
- "It is prudent to consult a physician before beginning any new exercise regimen."
- "Moſes,[…]eſtabliſht a grave and prudent Law,[…]."
- "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."
- "His prudent career moves reliably brought him to the top."
- "A prudent man foreſeeth the euill, and hideth himſelfe: but the ſimple paſſe on, and are puniſhed."
- "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)."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: prudent, prūdēns
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɹu.dənt/
- British English: /ˈpɹuː.dənt/
Inflected Forms
more prudent (comparative)
most prudent (superlative)