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

Researchers caution that these results do not mean people with Type 1 diabetes should simply consume more turmeric or begin taking curcumin supplements.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

Readings above 4 historically suggest it is time for caution in the stock market.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

But independent researchers caution that other factors must also be considered.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They suggest caution regarding NAB’s credit quality in the current challenging macroeconomic environment, saying that it appears to be turning lower.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

With infinite caution Ranofer held the tip of the wire in the flame, blowing a light, steady stream of air through the pipe.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

But he cautions that residency rules can be complex — making it important to consult a qualified tax professional, such as a certified public accountant, before making any major moves.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

Ince suggests doing thorough research to find the right fit for you, and cautions against using online resources which may offer generic advice.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Kimberly-Clark cautions that there is a long research runway ahead, but a viable tree alternative would be a scientific breakthrough capable of reshaping the consumer-products landscape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Mason cautions that the lack of a detected signal should not be interpreted as evidence that intelligent life does not exist elsewhere.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

“Quiet. We don’t want others to hear us,” Ma cautions me.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

However, he cautioned against calls for the introduction of the death penalty.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

However, they cautioned that other influences on brain health, including lifestyle and social engagement, could also contribute to the differences they observed.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

They cautioned that details were still being worked out, and the terms of the deal could change before any official announcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

However, while direct intervention might help to assuage concerns about a growing supply of bonds in the short term, it likely won’t be enough to bring down yields in the long term, El-Erian cautioned.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Lawrence cautioned Sproul that personnel expenses at the Rad Lab were destined to rise sharply, for the lab was becoming the victim of its own success.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

But business organisations from both sides of the border have urged for a deal to be reached, cautioning that additional tariffs between the two major trading partners would be harmful for both countries.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Most people started to receive the alert from 19:00 BST on Friday, with a message cautioning against the use of disposable barbeques, naked flames or fireworks.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Likewise, a friend warned me against staying up through 2 a.m. for the premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil,” cautioning that it was the worst film they’d ever seen at Cannes in over a decade.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Data released Friday didn’t provide much clarity, with many cautioning it was too early to determine a winner.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

Startled, I put a finger to my lips, cautioning, and waved him away.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler

Related Words

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