cautionary

American  

[kaw-shuh-ner-ee] / ˈkɔ ʃəˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. of the nature of or containing a warning.

   cautionary advice; a cautionary tale.

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cautionary British  

/ ˈkɔːʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. serving as a warning; intended to warn

   a cautionary tale

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Etymology

Origin of cautionary

First recorded in 1590–1600; caution + -ary

Example Sentences

Abdel-Fattah, a novelist, lawyer and academic, had been invited to the festival to discuss her latest novel Discipline – which she describes as "a cautionary tale about the cost of silence and cowardice".

From BBC

It is also a cautionary tale about writers’ aspirations—albeit one that is both gripping and relentlessly entertaining.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like this man who wrote to the Moneyist, you were put on notice by a cautionary tale involving someone you knew.

From MarketWatch

As a cautionary tale, it’s way more effective than coal in the stocking.

From Los Angeles Times

Many will argue that pockets of froth have emerged among consumer stocks, which could serve as a cautionary signal.

From Barron's