More prudent wife is heard not seen oddly (5)
I believe the answer is:
wiser
'more prudent' is the definition.
('wise' is associated in meaning with 'prudent')
'wife is heard not seen oddly' is the wordplay.
'wife' becomes 'w' (abbreviation).
'not seen oddly' means one should take alternating letters (letters in odd-numbered positions removed).
The alternate letters of 'heard' are 'er'.
'w'+'is'+'er'='WISER'
(Other definitions for wiser that I've seen before include "More judicious" , "Comparatively intelligent" , "More knowing" , "more like Charles V" , "More sagacious" .)