careful
cautious in one's actions: Be careful when you cross the street.
(of things) done or performed with accuracy or caution: careful research.
solicitously mindful (usually followed by of, about, or in): careful of the rights of others;careful about one's behavior;careful in speech.
Archaic.
full of anxiety or care; troubled.
causing or attended with anxiety: a careful day.
Origin of careful
1synonym study For careful
Other words for careful
Opposites for careful
Other words from careful
- care·ful·ly, adverb
- care·ful·ness, noun
- qua·si-care·ful, adjective
- ul·tra·care·ful, adjective
Words Nearby careful
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use careful in a sentence
We must be careful about relying on prosecution and the criminal justice system for deterrence.
The policing reforms in the Breonna Taylor settlement, explained | Fabiola Cineas | September 17, 2020 | VoxAfter I completed a careful audit, and with verification of my findings from Deputy District Attorney Robert Hickey, there were four names duplicated, for an actual total of 328.
While We’re Rethinking Policing, It’s Time to End Gang Injunctions | Jamie Wilson | September 15, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoThere was only one catch—the land was directly adjacent to a cabin, and I had been warned by park rangers to be careful about trespassing.
How to hunt for star-nosed moles (and their holes) | Kenneth Catania | September 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceBe careful as some CTV ad solutions will say they offer CTV inventory, but will actually mix in other video inventory that’s served on devices other than TV.
5 tips for adding connected TV to your holiday ad strategy | Sponsored Content: SteelHouse | September 14, 2020 | Search Engine LandIf we’re not careful, we could wind up codifying AI’s historic biases into guidelines that warp the technology for generations to come.
AI ethics groups are repeating one of society’s classic mistakes | Amy Nordrum | September 14, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
“Cultures” Versus “White Girls” As you can probably sense from my scare quotes, you can never be too careful these days.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year | Amy Zimmerman | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe had talked to her earlier in the day, him saying, “Baby, be careful.”
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWould he have been careful enough to destroy the odd pieces of jute you've left so messily about?
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the president and secretary need to be very careful here.
The Inside Story of U.S. Meddling in Israel’s Elections | Aaron David Miller | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThinking of longer journeys to Mars or an asteroid would require careful measurement of conditions.
To Infinity and Beyond! NASA’s Orion Mission Blasts Off | Matthew R. Francis | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMadame Ratignolle, more careful of her complexion, had twined a gauze veil about her head.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinAs a rule, however, even in the case of extreme varieties, a careful examination of the specimen will enable it to be identified.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard BastinCaptains Spotstroke and Pool were equally careful; the rest of those present drank freely.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThe question of branches of federal reserve banks has received careful attention during the past year.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsIt would make everyone careful, of course, but I fail to see any grievance in that.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
British Dictionary definitions for careful
/ (ˈkɛəfʊl) /
cautious in attitude or action; prudent
painstaking in one's work; thorough: he wrote very careful script
(usually postpositive; foll by of, in, or about) solicitous; protective: careful of one's reputation
archaic full of care; anxious
British mean or miserly
Derived forms of careful
- carefully, adverb
- carefulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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