carefully
Americanadverb
-
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.
-
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
- quasi-carefully adverb
- ultracarefully adverb
Etymology
Origin of carefully
First recorded before 1000; careful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
“I’m going to choose my words carefully here,” he said.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
“Not an unbounded and unlimited entity with high degrees of autonomy – but AI that is carefully calibrated, contextualized, within limits.”
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
By combining different halide salts, researchers created MXenes with two or even three types of surface halogens in carefully controlled proportions.
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
For just a moment, his carefully cultivated image as the voice of calm navigating his country through stormy seas was shattered.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
I looked carefully between rocks and in the nooks of trees.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
