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.
Financial adviser John Coumarianos of Mindful Advisory in Short Hills, N.J., warns that Baron Partners’ huge exposure to SpaceX and Tesla make it a riskier investment than many may realize.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
Mindful of what we experienced in June and September 2025, we are unconvinced that the U.S. shares that mindset.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
Too much too fast can also cause problems, explains Cara Wheatley-McGrain from the Mindful Gut, a wellbeing company which supports people to change their diets.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
Mindful of her Playhouse predecessors, Stone said she wants to continue to build on their legacy.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
Mindful of the time, Mom and I exchanged looks and then followed the woman into a room not far from the security hall.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
