cautionary tale

American  

[kaw-shuh-ner-ee teyl] / ˈkɔ ʃəˌnɛr i ˈteɪl /

noun

1. a story, experience, or situation that serves as a warning to others.

   The malware's devastating effect on her files became a cautionary tale about the importance of antivirus software.

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Etymology

Origin of cautionary tale

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

This is a different FA to 16 years ago and there is no suggestion Tuchel's new contract is anything other than a union of two parties delirously happy with each other, but there is certainly currency in the argument that the Capello affair must act as a cautionary tale.

From BBC

The so-called ecocide narrative argues that deforestation led to conflict and population decline before Europeans arrived in the 18th century, turning the island into a cautionary tale about overconsumption.

From Science Daily

The Reko Diq mine has long been a cautionary tale on the difficulty of extracting Balochistan’s riches.

From The Wall Street Journal

She tells the BBC it's a cautionary tale.

From BBC

Burns’s failure is a familiar cautionary tale.

From The Wall Street Journal