careful

1 of 2

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

carefulness

2 of 2

noun

care·​ful·​ness ˈker-fəl-nəs 

plural -es

: the quality of being careful : close or steady attention (as to a task) : caution, heed, foresight

Synonyms of careful

Adjective

• cautious
• wary
• alert

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

For use as antiaging therapies, both metformin and GLP-1 drugs will require careful clinical trials. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

If our industry isn’t careful, the next thing that breaks won’t just be a feature, a feed or a workflow. — Larry Bradley, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Without careful guardrails in place, children tend to use the platforms as shortcuts to answers, bypassing the messy, difficult cognitive processes that are essential for learning. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

There are many points in the New Delhi Declaration that analysts noted will take careful dissection and study over the next few weeks. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see care entry 1

Noun

Middle English, from Old English carfulnes, from carful + -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Phrases Containing careful

• (be) careful what you wish for

Rhymes for careful

• prayerful

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