carefully
Americanadverb
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in a cautious way, with attention to possible risks and dangers.
Although somewhat "folksy" in his interview, the congressman carefully avoided pitfalls where he would be vulnerable to attack.
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in a thorough, attentive, or painstaking way, giving thought to avoiding errors or omissions.
I have to carefully examine the copy editor's marked-up manuscript, double-checking everything and approving or vetoing changes.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of carefully
First recorded before 1000; careful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Carefully means cautiously or painstakingly. If you carefully study your vocabulary words, you'll ace your next quiz! This adverb comes from the Old English carfullice — but before coming to mean "in a way that avoids harm," it meant "sorrowfully." In fact, the very oldest meaning of care was "to be anxious or to grieve." These days, you don't cry when you do something carefully. You just take your time and make sure you're doing it right and that no one's being harmed by it, like when you check carefully behind your car for the neighbor's cat before you back out of the driveway.
Vocabulary lists containing carefully
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.
Together, these findings reveal a carefully regulated system in which the brain must balance competing signals to maintain healthy sleep and hormone activity.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
This week in the Fix My Portfolio column, Beth Pinsker answered questions from a woman who, alongside her husband, has prepared carefully for retirement, with several sources of income.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Sitting behind the wheel, on our way to the town of Hólmavík, I carefully dodged stubborn sheep who roamed the roads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Divers from the expedition brought the pots up to the surface, where they are now being carefully conserved after so many thousands of years underwater.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
‘Um. It looks like an envelope?’ she says carefully.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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