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Chiefly with plural agreement. The formally expressed opinions and judgements of especially eminent lawyers, influential as a source of the Roman Civil Law.
Late 16th century; earliest use found in Abraham Fraunce (?1559–?1593), poet and lawyer. In some forms from post-classical Latin responsa prudentum, alteration of classical Latin respōnsa prūdentium the answers of the learned from respōnsa, plural of respōnsum + prūdentium, genitive plural of prūdent-, prūdēns.