incautious

American  

[in-kaw-shuhs] / ɪnˈkɔ ʃəs /

adjective

1. not cautious; careless; reckless; heedless.

   Synonyms:

   headstrong, hotheaded, brash, rash

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incautious British  

/ ɪnˈkɔːʃəs /

adjective

1. not careful or cautious

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Other Word Forms

• incautiousness
  noun
• incautiously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of incautious

1695–1705; in- ³ + cautious; compare Latin incautus in same sense

Explanation

If you're incautious, you don't worry about problems that might come up — you're a little irresponsible. An incautious person might paddle off in a kayak without putting a life jacket on. Incautious behavior might include betting your whole paycheck on a poker game, bringing six stray dogs home, or lighting a bottle rocket and launching it from your hand. Incautious children are probably used to hearing adults telling them to be careful. Incautious is a combination of in-, "not" and cautious, "careful." It's derived from the Latin adjective incautus stemming from the noun cautionem, "caution, care, or foresight."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incautious

We’re a long way from those incautious days.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

Even the animals are distinctive—especially Kōkī, the pet parrot who acts like a Shakespearean fool, squawking incautious truths to Tongan authority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025

Still, it was an inappropriate, incautious statement from a Supreme Court justice who should have known better.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

It’s difficult to think of a precedent for such a display of raw, intimate and incautious anger, especially at an event known for its glamorous but choreographed formality.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2022

Then there was a sigh, a rustle, a snap of one incautious twig, and the clearing of the giant lime tree was as empty as it had been before the days of man.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White