prudent

See also: Prudent

English

Etymology

From Middle English prudent, from Old French prudent, from Latin prūdēns, contracted from prōvidēns (“foresight”) (English providence), the past participle of prōvideō (“I forsee”). Unrelated to prude. Doublet of provident.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹuːdənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːdənt

Adjective

prudent (comparative more prudent, superlative most prudent)

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

   Synonyms: careful, considerate, discreet; see also Thesaurus:cautious

   • 1864, Jules Verne, chapter 30, in Around the World in 80 Days‎^[1], archived from the original on 12 April 2012:

     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.

   • 1643, John Milton, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce:

     Moses established a grave and prudent law.

2. Practically wise, judicious, shrewd.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:wise

   His prudent career moves reliably brought him to the top.

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

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

3. Frugal, economical.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:frugal

   Antonym: extravagant

   Only prudent expenditure may provide quality within a restrictive budget.

Antonyms

• imprudent
• incontinent

Derived terms

• prudence
• prudent man rule
• prudently

Related terms

• jurisprudence
• prudence
• prudential
• provident

Translations

sagacious in adapting means to ends

• Arabic: حَرِيص (ḥarīṣ), حَكِيم (ar) (ḥakīm)

  Egyptian Arabic: حريص (ḥarīṣ)

• Bulgarian: предпазлив (bg) (predpazliv), благоразумен (bg) (blagorazumen)
• Catalan: prudent (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 謹慎／谨慎 (zh) (jǐnshèn), 慎重 (zh) (shènzhòng)

• Dutch: voorzichtig (nl), omzichtig (nl), vooruitziend (nl), prudent (nl)
• Esperanto: prudenta (eo)
• Finnish: harkitsevainen (fi), varovainen (fi), viisas (fi)
• French: prudent (fr)
• Galician: prudente (gl)
• Georgian: გონივრული (gonivruli), გონებადამჯდარი (gonebadamǯdari), წინდახედული (c̣indaxeduli)
• German: umsichtig (de), vorsichtig (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: φρόνιμος (phrónimos), (Epic) πινυτός (pinutós)

• Italian: prudente (it)
• Japanese: 慎重 (ja) (しんちょう, shinchō)
• Latin: prūdens, cordātus
• Macedonian: пре́тпазлив (prétpazliv), благора́зумен (blagorázumen), ра́судлив (rásudliv)
• Maori: matawhāiti
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: aktsom (no)

• Occitan: prudent (oc)
• Polish: przezorny (pl)
• Portuguese: prudente (pt)
• Russian: рассуди́тельный (ru) (rassudítelʹnyj), благоразу́мный (ru) (blagorazúmnyj), осторо́жный (ru) (ostoróžnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: glic
• Spanish: prudente (es)
• Swedish: förtänksam (sv)
• Turkish: ihtiyatlı (tr), tedbirli (tr), sakıngan (tr), önlemli, sakıntılı (tr)

practically wise, judicious, shrewd

• Bulgarian: разсъдлив (bg) (razsǎdliv), пресметлив (bg) (presmetliv)
• Dutch: slim (nl), sluw (nl), beredeneerd (nl), doordacht (nl)
• Esperanto: prudenta (eo)
• Galician: prudente (gl)
• Georgian: გონივრული (gonivruli), გონებადამჯდარი (gonebadamǯdari), წინდახედული (c̣indaxeduli)
• Latin: prūdens
• Macedonian: ра́судлив (rásudliv), пре́сметлив (présmetliv), и́тар (ítar)
• Polish: roztropny (pl)
• Portuguese: prudente (pt)
• Russian: проница́тельный (ru) (pronicátelʹnyj)
• Sanskrit: कवि (sa) (kavi)
• Scottish Gaelic: glic
• Spanish: prudente (es)
• Swedish: slug (sv)
• Tocharian B: imassu
• Turkish: ihtiyatlı (tr), tedbirli (tr)

frugal; economical; not extravagant

• Arabic: حَرِيص (ḥarīṣ)
• Bulgarian: пестелив (bg) (pesteliv)
• Dutch: zuinig (nl), economisch (nl)
• Finnish: harkitsevainen (fi)
• Galician: prudente (gl)
• Georgian: მომჭირნე (momč̣irne), დამზოგველი (damzogveli), ყაირათიანი (q̇airatiani)
• Macedonian: ште́длив (štédliv), шкрт (škrt) (colloquial)
• Portuguese: prudente (pt)
• Russian: бережли́вый (ru) (berežlívyj), расчётливый (ru) (rasčótlivyj)
• Spanish: prudente (es)
• Turkish: tutumlu (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} prudent (fr)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} críonna
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} avveduto (it)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} atentado (es)

Anagrams

• prunted, uptrend

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prūdentem.

Adjective

prudent m or f (masculine and feminine plural prudents)

1. prudent

Derived terms

• prudentment

Related terms

• prudència

Further reading

• “prudent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “prudent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “prudent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “prudent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prūdentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁy.dɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

prudent (feminine prudente, masculine plural prudents, feminine plural prudentes)

1. prudent, careful, cautious

   Antonym: imprudent

Related terms

• prudence

Further reading

• “prudent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin prūdēns. First attested in the 12th century.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn)

  (file)

Adjective

prudent m (feminine singular prudenta, masculine plural prudents, feminine plural prudentas)

1. prudent

   Antonym: imprudent

Derived terms

• prudentament

Related terms

• imprudent
• prudéncia

References

• Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎^[2], 2 edition, →ISBN, page 789.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French prudent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pruˈdent/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

prudent m or n (feminine singular prudentă, masculine plural prudenți, feminine and neuter plural prudente)

1. prudent, careful, cautious

   Synonyms: precaut, atent, îngrijit

Declension

Declension of prudent

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	prudent		prudentă	prudenți	prudente
	definite	prudentul		prudenta	prudenții	prudentele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	prudent		prudente	prudenți	prudente
	definite	prudentului		prudentei	prudenților	prudentelor

Related terms

• prudență