Lewis & Short

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prūdens, entis, adj. [contr. from providens].

  1. I. Foreseeing, foreknowing (very rare); constr. with an objective clause, or absol.: ille contra urinam spargit, prudens, hanc quoque leoni exitialem, Plin. 8, 38, 57, § 136: quos prudentis possumus dicere, id est providentis, Cic. Div. 1, 49, 111: de futuro satis callidus satisque prudens, Ps.-Sall. ap. Cic. init.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Knowing, skilled, experienced, versed, practised in a thing (class.; syn.: peritus, consultus); constr. with gen. or in; poet. and post-Aug. also with inf.
          1. (α) With gen.: ceterarum rerum pater familias et prudens et attentus, Cic. Quint. 3, 11: belli prudentes, Sall. Ep. Mith. (H. 4, 61, 16 Dietsch): rei militaris, Nep. Con. 1, 2: locorum, Liv. 34, 28 fin.: animus rerum prudens, Hor. C. 4, 9, 35: artis, Ov. H. 5, 150: animorum provinciae prudens, Tac. Agr. 19: doli prudens, id. H. 2, 25: agricolationis, Col. 2, 2, 15.
            Comp.: prudentiores rerum rusticarum, Col. 4, 2, 1; so, earum rerum, Gell. 14, 2, 4.
            Sup.: adulandi gens prudentissima, Juv. 3, 86.
          2. (β) With in: prudens in jure civili, Cic. Lael. 2, 6.
          3. (γ) With inf. or acc. and inf.: nec pauperum prudens anus Novemdialis dissipare pulveres, Hor. Epod. 17, 47: prudens otii vitia negotio discuti, Curt. 7, 1, 4:-ob ea se peti prudens, Plin. 8, 31, 49, § 111: sciens prudensque se praegnantem non esse, Dig. 25, 6, 1, § 2.
      1. 2. In partic.
        1. a. Juris prudens, also prudens alone (like juris peritus), skilled or learned in the law; as subst.: jūrisprūdens, ntis, m., one learned in the law, a lawyer, jurist, jurisconsult (only post-class.), Dig. 38, 15, 2 fin.; 1, 2, 2; 1, 1, 7; 40, 7, 30; Just. Inst. 1, 2.
        2. b. Like sciens, knowing, wise, discreet, prudent; usually connected with sciens: prudens animam de corpore mitto, Enn. ap. Non. 150, 8 (Ann. v. 216 Vahl.): quos prudens praetereo, Hor. S. 1, 10, 88; 2, 5, 58 (cf.: imprudens praeteriisse videris, Cic. Brut. 77, 269): ibis sub furcam prudens, Hor. S. 2, 7, 66: nequidquam deus abscidit Prudens Oceano terras, id. C. 1, 3, 22; 3, 29, 29; Ov. M. 3, 364: an prudens imprudensve rupisset, Gell. 20, 1, 34.
          With sciens: amore ardeo: et prudens, sciens, Vivus vidensque pereo, Ter. Eun. 1, 1, 27: ut in fabulis Amphiaraus sic ego prudens et sciens ad pestem ante oculos positam sum profectus, Cic. Fam. 6, 6, 6; Cael. ap. Cic. Att. 10, 9, A, 5; Suet. Ner. 2 fin.
    2. B. In gen., sagacious, sensible, intelligent, clever, judicious, etc. (very freq.): vir naturā peracutus et prudens, Cic. Or. 5, 18: quis P. Octavio ingenio prudentior, jure peritior, id. Clu. 38, 107: prudentem et, ut ita dicam, catum, id. Leg. 1, 16, 45: in existimando admodum prudens, id. Brut. 68, 239; cf.: prudentissimi in disserendo, id. ib. 31, 118: virum ad consilia prudentem, id. Font. 15, 43: quo nemo prudentior, id. Lael. 1, 5: homines amicissimi ac prudentissimi, id. Rep. 1, 46, 10: vir bonus et prudens, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 32; cf. id. A. P. 445: si divitiae prudentem reddere possent, id. Ep. 2, 2, 155: prudentior ille consilio, hic animo magnificentior, Just. 9, 8, 13.
      With adverb. acc.: prudens alia, Amm. 15, 13, 2.
      Of abstract things: prudens, temperata, fortis, justa ratio, Cic. Fin. 5, 21, 58: prudens animi sententia, Ov. H. 21, 137: consilium, quod si non fuerit prudens, Balb. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 7, A, 1; Ov. M. 13, 433: prudentissimum consilium, Nep. Eum. 3, 4; Hirt. B. Alex. 24.
    3. C. Cautious, circumspect (very rare): malebant me nimium timidum quam satis prudentem existimari, Cic. Fam. 4, 14, 2.
      Hence, adv.: prūdenter, sagaciously, intelligently, discreetly, wisely, skilfully, learnedly, prudently, etc.: loqui, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, 4 (Ann. v. 255 Vahl.): facere, Cic. Fin. 5, 6, 15; cf. id. Rep. 3, 9, 16: rationem excogitare, id. ib. 2, 12, 23: multa ab eo prudenter disputata, id. Lael. 1, 1: multa provisa prudenter, id. ib. 2, 6.
      Comp., Aug. in Suet. Tib. 21; Quint. 9, 2, 44.
      Sup.: defendere, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 150: scribere, id. Att. 13, 1, 1; Val. Max. 3, 3, 4 ext. 4.

prūdentĭa, ae, f. [prudens].

  1. I. A foreseeing (very rare): id enim est sapientis providere: ex quo sapientia est appellata prudentia, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 41, 31: futurorum, id. Sen. 21, 78.
  2. II. Acquaintance with a thing, knowledge of a matter, skill in a matter: juris publici, Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 256: juris civilis, Nep. Cim. 2, 1: legum, Cic. Rep. 2, 36, 61; cf. id. Mur. 13, 28: physicorum, id. Div. 2, 4, 11: cani rectoris, Juv. 12, 32; 10, 48.
    1. B. Esp., = juris prudentia, Just. Inst. praef. § 2.
  3. III. Sagacity, good sense, intelligence, prudence, practical judgment, discretion: prudentia constat ex scientiā rerum bonarum et malarum et nec bonarum nec malarum, Cic. N. D. 3, 15, 38: prudentia tribus partibus constare videtur, memoriā, intellegentiā, providentiā, id. Inv. 2, 53, 160; cf. Auct. Her. 3, 2, 3: prudentia, quam Graeci φρόνησιν, est rerum expetendarum fugiendarumque scientia, Cic. Off. 1, 43, 153: prudentia cernitur in delectu bonorum et malorum, id. Fin. 5, 23, 67: ut medicina valetudinis, sic vivendi ars est prudentia, id. ib. 5, 6, 16: civilis prudentia, statesmanship, id. Rep. 2, 25, 46; id. Inv. 2, 53, 159: ad omnes res adhibere prudentiam, id. Att. 12, 4, 2; Col. 12, 57, 6; 1, 1, 1: rerum fato prudentia major, Verg. G. 1, 416: velox, ready, Pers. 4, 4: si ratio et prudentia curas aufert, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 25.