careful

adjective

care·​ful ˈker-fəl 

carefuller; carefullest

1

a

: marked by wary caution or prudence

be very careful with knives

b

: marked by attentive concern and solicitude

careful farm management

c

: marked by painstaking effort to avoid errors or omissions

—often used with of or an infinitive

careful of money

careful to adjust the machine

2

: exercising or taking care

careful of a child's welfare

3

archaic

a

: solicitous, anxious

b

: filling with care or solicitude

carefully

ˈker-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

carefulness

ˈker-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• alert
• cautious
• chary
• circumspect
• conservative
• considerate
• gingerly
• guarded
• heedful
• safe
• wary

Choose the Right Synonym for careful

careful, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious mean showing close attention to detail.

careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.

a careful worker

meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.

meticulous scholarship

scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical.

scrupulous honesty

punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.

punctilious observance of ritual

Examples of careful in a Sentence

He is a careful driver.

You can never be too careful about these things.

Be careful! The stove is hot!

She was careful of their feelings.

The police were careful to leave the room exactly as they found it.

Police made a careful examination of the scene.

They produced a careful study of the building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because the position of the moon during totality and the timing of totality itself were unmistakable, Williams knew that making careful observations of both could help improve the lunar distance method. —Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

Local leaders have been careful not to link the two issues, as most kids who miss school are not committing crimes. —Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024

Glasnow and Miller are coming off career-high innings totals in 2023, prompting the club to be careful with workloads in at least the early portion of this year. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Economists who depend on government work must be careful not to speak frankly. —Alex Travelli, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024

Be especially careful when writing the amounts of wages, dividends, bank interest, and other income. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

If subscribers aren’t careful, the service can end up costing as much or more than just purchasing the car outright. —Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024

After 12 years of Kirchnerism, Macri had little choice but to be extremely careful given his fragile position in Congress and serious risks regarding governability. —Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

In the second, as an older and more reflective man, Martin understands his father on a new level — Martin is careful to keep his own daughter out of the documentary, finding a very funny workaround — and even comes to love and miss him. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing careful

• (be) careful what you wish for

Kids Definition

careful

adjective

care·​ful ˈke(ə)r-fəl 

ˈka(ə)r-

1

: using care : watchful

a careful driver

2

: made, done, or said with care

a careful examination

carefully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

carefulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun