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.
She rarely posted photos on social media, mindful of the conservative culture of her community in Pakistan.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
Dangerous conditions are expected to continue along Southern California beaches this week, with officials warning swimmers to be mindful of life-threatening rip tides and sneaker waves that could catch beachgoers off guard.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
Be mindful that, for young people with small budgets, rewards add up to very little.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Men’s Style Consulting, she’s mindful of that mandate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
He worries about how long it will last, though, mindful of what happened to his father, Dwight, a decade ago.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
