Word
prudent
Phoneticspru·dent, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɹudənt/
UK/pɹˈuːdənt/
Definitions
01wise and cautious
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. showing care and good judgement when making decisions, especially to avoid risks.
adj. demonstrating sound judgement and foresight in practical affairs; circumspect.
“It would be prudent to save some money for emergencies instead of spending it all.”
“Given the volatility of the current market, the board decided that a prudent approach to expansion would be most beneficial for long-term stability.”
02frugal or economical
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. careful with money and not wasting it.
adj. characterised by or proceeding from care and wisdom in the management of resources; frugal.
“A prudent shopper compares prices at different stores before buying expensive electronics.”
“The administration's prudent management of the endowment ensured that student scholarships remained funded even during the economic downturn.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“They described it as a “transfer of public wealth to private hands that is difficult to justify as prudent”.” “He warned that AI is already embedded in critical systems worldwide and called for “prudent and reliable guardrails” developed with scientific input from outside government.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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