1
a
: free from care : untroubled
careless days
b
: indifferent, unconcerned
careless of the consequences
2
: not taking care
My brother was too careless of his charge.—
Shakespeare
Shakespeare3
: not showing or receiving care:
b
: unstudied, spontaneous
a careless grace
a careless glance
c
obsolete
: unvalued, disregarded
carelessly
adverb
carelessness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of careless in a Sentence
He is a careless worker.
She was careless with my things.
It was a careless mistake.
a newspaper known for careless reporting
Recent Examples on the Web
The female driver, whose name has not been released, was charged with careless driving causing injury, according to WPBF and WFOR-TV.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
If companies are careless, AI will replicate the same biases as human decision-making.
—Dr. Vic Baker, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
While Boeing carries much blame for its demise, notably careless quality control in aircraft maintenance that caused a number of accidents and near accidents, government policy and union demands assure there will be no recovery.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024
Cave desecration can involve the careless discarding of a Flaming Hot Cheetos bag.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careless 
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Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
If companies are careless, AI will replicate the same biases as human decision-making.
—Dr. Vic Baker, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
While Boeing carries much blame for its demise, notably careless quality control in aircraft maintenance that caused a number of accidents and near accidents, government policy and union demands assure there will be no recovery.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024
Cave desecration can involve the careless discarding of a Flaming Hot Cheetos bag.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careless
Dictionary Entries Near careless
Cite this Entry
“Careless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careless. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
careless
adjective
care·less
ˈke(ə)r-ləs 
ˈka(ə)r-
1
: free from care : not troubled
2
: not taking proper care
a careless worker
3
: done, made, or said without proper care
a careless mistake
carelessly
adverb
carelessness
noun
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