mindful
Americanadjective
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attentive, aware, or careful (usually followed byof ).
mindful of one's responsibilities.
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noting or relating to the psychological technique of mindfulness.
mindful observation of one's experiences.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mindful
First recorded in 1375–1425, mindful is from the late Middle English word mindeful. See mind, -ful
Explanation
Being mindful means paying close attention to or being especially conscious of something. If you are aware of the fact that your friend is upset, you're mindful of her feelings. Sometimes mindful has the sense of "careful," as when a farmer is mindful of the amount of water she uses during a drought, or when you're mindful of the fact that your little sister easily gets her feelings hurt. In Old English, myndful meant "of good memory," or "having a good mind," while the related word myndig had a meaning similar to today's mindful.
Vocabulary lists containing mindful
Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1
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Careful
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Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We like the start to the year. We are also mindful of the fact that the environment could remain a little tenuous.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Credit-card companies need to be mindful about who they extend credit to.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Speaking after the Brighton game, head coach Michael Carrick, who gave the youngster his senior debut during the pre-season match with Atletico Madrid in Stockholm said everyone needed to be mindful of Gabriel's age.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
For cats exploring the kitchen, be mindful of your oven.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
When Reznak and Skahaz appeared, she found herself looking at them askance, mindful of the three treasons.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
