prudence
The quality or state of being prudent: circumspection and good judgment in knowing how best to act; (countable, archaic) an instance of this.
Noun
- The quality or state of being prudent: circumspection and good judgment in knowing how best to act; (countable, archaic) an instance of this.
- [T]here are ſo many concurrencies vvhich have their attending cheques; vvhich poſſible are to be, but actually, vvere not improved in remedy that the prevalence of the Fire againſt, and in deſpight of thoſe vvonted...
- Concerning intellectual Habits or the genuine effects of theſe acts in the underſtanding Faculty, and they are divers and diverſly expreſſed by thoſe that have treated thereof. […] Prudence, vvhich is principally in...
- Prudence, like experience, must be paid for. - 1777 May 8 (first performance; rewritten a. 1817), Richard Brinsley Sheridan, “The School for Scandal: A Comedy”, in Thomas Moore, editor, The Works of the Late Right...
Synonyms: cautel discretion farsightedness foresightedness judiciousness providence prudentness prudency
Antonyms: imprudence rashness recklessness unprudence
- Synonym of frugality (“the quality of avoiding unnecessary expenditure; economy, parsimony, thrift, thriftiness”).
Synonyms: frugality
- Synonym of providence (“preparation for the future; foresight”).
- For 'tis my ſetled Opinion, that Divine Prudence is often, at leaſt, converſant in a peculiar manner about the Actions of Men, and the things that happen to Them, or have a neceſſary Connexion vvith the One, or the...
Synonyms: providence
- Synonym of wisdom (“an element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise; wise advice”).
- Children here ye the fathers diſcipline, and attend that you may knovve prudence. - 1610, The Second Tome of the Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Prouerbes 4:1, page 276:
- [H]e [Pythagoras] vvent from Ægypt to the Perſians, (not to Perſia, as ſome conceive) and reſigned himſelf to the moſt exact prudence of the Magi, to be formed. - 1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Pythagoras.] Chap[ter] V....
Synonyms: sagacity acuity astuteness clairvoyance discernment discrimination gumption insight nous penetration perspicacity prudence sagaciousness sageliness sageness sapience savvy sharpness sophy understanding wisdom wiseness wit
Origin
From Middle English prudence (“discretion; foresight; knowledge; intelligence, wisdom; act of good judgment; wisdom to see what is virtuous”), from Anglo-Norman prudence, Middle French prudence, and Old French prudence (“common sense; wisdom”) (modern French prudence), and from their etymon Latin prūdentia (“common sense; discretion, prudence; foresight; knowledge; providence; skilfulness; wisdom”), from prūdent- (the stem of prūdēns (“knowledgeable, skilful; wise, prudent”)) + -ia (suffix forming first-declension feminine abstract nouns). Prūdēns is a contraction of prōvidēns (“caring for; foreseeing; providing”) (whence prōvidentia (“foreknowledge, foresight; forethought, precaution, providence”)), the present active participle of prōvideō (“to care for, look after; to foresee; to provide, see to”), from prō- (prefix meaning ‘forward; prior’) + videō (“to perceive, see; to comprehend,...
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antiprudential imprudence imprudency imprudent imprudently imprudentness jurisprude jurisprudence jurisprudent jurisprudential jurisprudentialist jurisprudentially macroprudential microprudential providence provident providently providentness prudency prudent prudential prudentness unprudent unprudential