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.
President Trump will address the United Nation’s General Assembly later Tuesday, with markets carefully watching his words for their impact on oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
“As regents, we have a responsibility to protect the university, to respect the law, and to carefully evaluate the legal consequences of the decisions we make,” Hernández said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The researchers also discovered that beneficial differences do not always need to be carefully designed in advance.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
While the career of some talented prospects is carefully nurtured, Teasdale may not have been as well protected.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
With food being rationed so carefully, the meals weren’t large, but the act of eating was still important.
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.
