careful

adjective

care·​ful ˈker-fəl How to pronounce careful (audio)
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
b
: filling with care or solicitude
carefully adverb
carefulness noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025 My 23-year-old BMW received the same careful attention as my brand new premium cars, and the PURE PPF now provides it with those same protective, anti-aging benefits. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 Since then, Vance has been more careful not to deviate publicly from the president's policy position. Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2025 High-risk products—those with high return rates, low resale value, or complex reverse logistics—require careful evaluation to minimize financial exposure. Dennis Mitzner, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for careful

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of careful was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Careful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careful. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

careful

adjective
care·​ful ˈke(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce careful (audio)
ˈka(ə)r-
1
: using care : watchful
a careful driver
2
: made, done, or said with care
a careful examination
carefully adverb
carefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on careful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!