precautious

[pri-kaw-shuhs]

adjective

1. using or displaying precaution.

   a precautious reply; a precautious person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of precautious¹

First recorded in 1705–15; precauti(on) + -ous

Related Words

• attentive 
• careful 
• considerate 
• intelligent 
• noncommittal 
• prudent 
• reasonable 
• restrained 
• tactful 
• thoughtful 
• watchful 

When To Use

What does precautious mean?

Precautious is an adjective that means being careful by actively preparing to avoid something negative. It can refer to a person or an action.Precautious is very similar to cautious. They both mean being prudent to avoid something bad, but precautious has the added sense of doing something beforehand to try to prevent the bad thing from happening.Example: I decided to be precautious and have my mechanic check out my car before the big road trip.