caution
[ kaw-shuhn ]
/ ˈkɔ ʃən /
noun
alertness and prudence in a hazardous situation; care; wariness: Landslides ahead—proceed with caution.
a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning: By way of caution, he told me the difficulties I would face.
Informal. a person or thing that astonishes or causes mild apprehension: She's a caution. The way he challenges your remarks is a caution.
verb (used with object)
to give warning to; advise or urge to take heed.
verb (used without object)
to warn or advise: The newspapers caution against overoptimism.
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Origin of caution
1250–1300; Middle English caucion<Latin cautiōn- (stem of cautiō) a taking care, equivalent to caut(us), past participle of cavēre to guard against (cau- take care, guard + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn--ion
SYNONYMS FOR caution
synonym study for caution
4. See warn.
OTHER WORDS FROM caution
Words nearby caution
caustic soda, caustic surface, cauterant, cauterize, cautery, caution, cautionary, caution money, cautious, Cauvery, cav.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for caution
British Dictionary definitions for caution
caution
/ (ˈkɔːʃən) /
noun
verb
Derived forms of caution
cautioner, nounWord Origin for caution
C13: from Old French, from Latin cautiō, from cavēre to beware
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with caution
caution
see throw caution to the winds.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.