mindful
Americanadjective
-
attentive, aware, or careful (usually followed byof ).
mindful of one's responsibilities.
-
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
Careful
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Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1
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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.
And while he's not afraid to speak his mind, he says he is mindful of letting others do the talking sometimes.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
We see that weary, mindful attentiveness come alive again with his latest movie, “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” a throwback crime drama that offers Turturro a rare starring role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Until then, Mullen expects the company will be mindful of its capex until projects are confirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
They try to be mindful of when their daughter needs their help, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
It also provided Etta with enough money to get by on, if she was mindful of her pennies.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
