caution

American  

[kaw-shuhn] / ˈkɔ ʃən /

noun

• cautions
  plural

1. alertness and prudence in a hazardous situation; care; wariness.

   Landslides ahead—proceed with caution.

   Synonyms:

   vigilance, heed, watchfulness, discretion, circumspection

   Antonyms:

   carelessness

2. a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning.

   By way of caution, he told me the difficulties I would face.

   Synonyms:

   counsel, advice, admonition

3. Informal. a person or thing that astonishes or causes mild apprehension.

   She's a caution. The way he challenges your remarks is a caution.

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verb (used with object)

• cautions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• cautioned,
  past participle,  past
• cautioning
  present participle

1. to give warning to; advise or urge to take heed.

   Synonyms:

   forewarn, admonish

verb (used without object)

• cautions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• cautioned,
  past participle,  past
• cautioning
  present participle

1. to warn or advise.

   The newspapers caution against overoptimism.

caution British  

/ ˈkɔːʃən /

noun

1. care, forethought, or prudence, esp in the face of danger; wariness

2. something intended or serving as a warning; admonition

3. law a formal warning given to a person suspected or accused of an offence that his words will be taken down and may be used in evidence

4. a notice entered on the register of title to land that prevents a proprietor from disposing of his or her land without a notice to the person who entered the caution

5. informal an amusing or surprising person or thing

   she's a real caution

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verb

1. (tr) to urge or warn (a person) to be careful

2. (tr) law to give a caution to (a person)

3. (intr) to warn, urge, or advise

   he cautioned against optimism

caution Idioms  

1. see throw caution to the winds.

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Synonym Usage

See warn.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cautioner
  noun
• overcaution
  noun
• supercaution
  noun
• recaution
  verb (used with object)
• uncautioned
  adjective
• well-cautioned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cautions
  plural

Participles

• cautioning
  present
• cautioned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• caution
  simple
• cautions
  simple
• have cautioned
  perfect
• has cautioned
  perfect
• am cautioning
  progressive
• are cautioning
  progressive
• is cautioning
  progressive
• have been cautioning
  perfect progressive
• has been cautioning
  perfect progressive

Past

• cautioned
  simple
• had cautioned
  perfect
• was cautioning
  progressive
• were cautioning
  progressive
• had been cautioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will caution
  simple
• will have cautioned
  perfect
• will be cautioning
  progressive
• will have been cautioning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of caution

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English caucion, from Latin cautiōn-, stem of cautiō “a taking care,” from caut(us) “taken care” (past participle of cavēre “to take care”) + -iō -ion; cf. caveat

Explanation

If you act with caution, it means you are careful. Be sure to use caution when walking across a patch of ice. Otherwise, you might end up sprawling face-first on the ground. Ouch! The noun caution can be used to describe something that calls for careful action and the need to avoid risk, such as a volatile political situation that requires extreme caution. The word also has a verb form with a similar meaning. It’s a more formal way of saying “warn” and usually appears with against or that, as in, "Teachers caution against waiting until the last minute to study," or, "They caution that effective studying takes a long time."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caution cautions cautioned cautioning

The researchers caution that the results remain experimental.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

Although caution was the order of the day, some residents braved the outside world on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

However, DBS economists caution that the global artificial-intelligence boom faces growing headwinds from central-bank rate increases, higher bond yields and rising financing costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Rassell and other medics told the BBC that patients living with Parkinson's should treat this information with caution.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Mrs. Gardiner’s caution to Elizabeth was punctually and kindly given on the first favourable opportunity of speaking to her alone; after honestly telling her what she thought, she thus went on:

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

He cautions that investors keep watch on the economies of France, Germany and Japan, as fiscal or economic trouble for those could ultimately spill over into the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Conditional cautions are the more severe of the two types of caution.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Sui cautions that the technology is still far from routine clinical use.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Dr. Seema Yasmin, an educator, author and clinical assistant professor at Stanford University, cautions users.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

I wondered why, and then realized that I had grown so accustomed to being a Negro, to being shown contempt, that I could not rid myself of the cautions.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Mayfield cautioned investors to look not only at duration when considering a fund’s volatility risk, but also at average maturity.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

Forecasters warned of an increased risk of drownings this week due to larger waves and strong rip currents, and cautioned that the ocean “may be too dangerous for swimming.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

In particular, Lane cautioned against linking those expectations too directly to moves in energy prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

That gives the disease a high potential for an epidemic spread or even a global pandemic, but health officials have cautioned we have a long way to go to get to that point.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Milo cautioned sternly, with a meaningful glance toward Orr.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Thursday, cautioning of the risk of heat related illnesses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Just after the opening night’s audience gets their emotional release, a tone fills the theater, with a voice cautioning of a “Level 4 warning.”

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Eritrea's "priority is to keep war away from its own territory", it added, before cautioning the country's actions increase the risk of regional escalation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Stocks ended modestly lower after a worrying monthly survey of consumer confidence was offset by a Federal Reserve official cautioning against hasty rate hikes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

She shot me a cautioning look, as if she sensed my urge to snatch it and tear it to shreds.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• attention
• care
• discretion
• foresight
• prudence
• vigilance