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
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
Although Hill initially received two tickets for careless driving and not wearing a seat belt, they were dismissed after the officer who cited him didn’t show up to the Miami-Dade traffic hearing.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Of those fires, 90% were caused by careless human activity, the agency said.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
In the careless driving citation on Feb. 7, 2023, police said Hayes was operating his vehicle inattentively and unaware of the surroundings.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2025
The Orlando Sentinel noted that Hayes has a history of driving citations, including several instances of speeding, and another for careless driving that resulted in a separate crash.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for careless
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.
C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Of those fires, 90% were caused by careless human activity, the agency said.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
In the careless driving citation on Feb. 7, 2023, police said Hayes was operating his vehicle inattentively and unaware of the surroundings.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2025
The Orlando Sentinel noted that Hayes has a history of driving citations, including several instances of speeding, and another for careless driving that resulted in a separate crash.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for careless
Cite this Entry
“Careless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careless. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share