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Reading notes: Prudent
Prudent (adjective): Careful and sensible when considering possible risks or consequences.
Use it accurately
Prudent usually conveys approval of good judgment. It need not mean refusing every risk. The noun is “prudence”, and the adverb is “prudently”.
Original example sentences
It would be prudent to check the timetable before leaving.
The organizers made a prudent backup plan for rain.
Check your understanding
Does a prudent person always choose to do nothing?
Answer: No. Prudence means considering consequences and acting sensibly.
Explain the judgment
Before an outdoor event, an organizer checks the forecast and arranges an indoor alternative. The event can proceed whichever venue is used.
Think it through: Why is “prudent preparation” a better fit than “refusing to act”?
Check the explanation
The organizer considers a foreseeable risk and makes a sensible plan while continuing with the event. Prudence does not require avoiding every uncertain activity.
Your turn: Complete: “It would be prudent to ___ before ___.” Give a reason for the precaution.
Study prudent in the written lesson: meaning and further examples.
Turn watching into practice
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