adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- circumspection noun
- circumspective adjective
- circumspectly adverb
- circumspectness noun
- noncircumspect adjective
- noncircumspectness noun
- overcircumspect adjective
- uncircumspect adjective
- uncircumspectness noun
Etymology
Origin of circumspect
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin circumspectus (past participle of circumspicere “to look around”), equivalent to circum- “around, about” ( circum- ) + spec(ere) “to look” + -tus past participle suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The security minister Dan Jarvis was both circumspect in his language, but warm and accepting of the wide range of concerns expressed by MPs of multiple parties.
From BBC
While publicly Kinnings is understandably cautious and circumspect about the future, the backers who lend their name to his tour are more outspoken.
From BBC
Harbour has also been circumspect about the end of the marriage.
From BBC
When asked by The Times about Pelosi and her primary challengers, however, Hogg was circumspect, calling Pelosi “one of the most effective and consequential leaders in the history of the Democratic Party.”
From Los Angeles Times
While Paz said he would welcome foreign investment in mining—which would be a break from government policy for nearly two decades—he has been more circumspect about Bolivia’s lithium industry.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
