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.
Caedmon then miraculously composed the hymn, producing a carefully crafted poem praising God for creating the world.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
"The first day... unfolded as a carefully choreographed state banquet, served on fine porcelain, while traders quietly inspected the cracks beneath the table. The optics were unquestionably constructive," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
It was a day heavy with symbolism in Beijing, marked by choreographed ceremonies and carefully staged optics, but there was no sweeping trade breakthrough or major business agreements.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The decision was made “after listening carefully to concerns raised by physicians, caregivers and community leaders,” said a PeaceHealth spokesman.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 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.
