cautiously

American  

[kaw-shuhs-lee] / ˈkɔ ʃəs li /

adverb

1. in a way that shows alertness and prudence in a hazardous or uncertain situation; carefully; warily.

   He stepped cautiously onto the loose planks.

   I am cautiously optimistic that both parties will accept the compromise.

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Other Word Forms

• hypercautiously adverb
• ultracautiously adverb
• uncautiously adverb

Etymology

Origin of cautiously

First recorded in 1610–20; cautious ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

Buffett was asked about his views on the Gates Foundation and Gates and answered cautiously.

From Barron's

“They’re . . . soft, velvety,” I said cautiously, like he was a spooked animal.

From Literature

He proceeded cautiously: “She… looks… like your average badger.”

From Literature

Fitzpatrick birdied the 17th to go four ahead and played the par-five 18th cautiously with a double-bogey seven still enough for victory.

From BBC

Still, the benchmarks are lower on the week as the market cautiously watches efforts toward talks to end the conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• carefully
• slowly