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.
It’s all balanced with carefully constructed and outrageously funny physical comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
You’d need to carefully research where you want to live, and ideally, “test-drive” the location during both peak and off-peak seasons.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
States, tribal nations and Congress have spent decades building a carefully balanced gaming framework with age verification, consumer protections, integrity rules, anti-money-laundering requirements and local accountability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Anna Macdonald, investment strategy director at financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown, agrees that women choose the companies they invest in carefully.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
‘I could try and ask Bubbe,’ I say carefully.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
