care

noun

\ ˈker

plural cares

Definition of care

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : suffering of mind : grief

2a : a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility oppressed by sickness, grief, or care— William Wordsworth also : something that causes such a state : a particular worry, concern, etc. Relax and leave all your cares behind.

b : a cause for such anxiety

3a : painstaking or watchful attention his gentlemen conduct me with all care to some securest lodging— John Keats — see also take care

b : maintenance floor-care products — see also take care of

4 : regard coming from desire or esteem a care for the common good

5 : charge, supervision left the house in his care especially : responsibility for or attention to health, well-being, and safety under a doctor's care — see also health care, take care of

6 : a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude The flower garden was her special care.

care

verb

cared; caring

Definition of care (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to feel trouble or anxiety cared for his safety

b : to feel interest or concern care about freedom

2 : to give care care for the sick

3a : to have a liking, fondness, or taste don't care for your attitude

b : to have an inclination would you care for some pie

transitive verb

1 : to be concerned about or to the extent of don't care what they say doesn't care a damn

2 : wish if you care to go

care less

: not to care —used positively and negatively with the same meaning I could care less what happensI couldn't care less what happens

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Choose the Right Synonym for care

Noun

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this. care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension. a face worn by years of care concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection. crimes caused concern in the neighborhood solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another. acted with typical maternal solicitude anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure. plagued by anxiety and self-doubt worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety. financial worries

Examples of care in a Sentence

Noun She used care in selecting a doctor for her son. The children have inadequate medical care and little formal education. We need to provide poor people with better dental care. She wrote a book about car care. With proper care, the machine should last a decade or more. She is an expert on skin care. She knows a lot about the care and feeding of horses. She looks as if all the cares of the world are on her shoulders. Verb He doesn't care if he gets fired. I care what happens to her. On Valentine's Day, send her flowers to show that you care. I didn't know you cared. I wouldn't care to be in your shoes right now. I'm going for a walk. Would you care to join me? He'll show the photos to anyone who cares to see them. More factors influenced her decision than she cares to admit.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Those who were concerned included Kathleen Heren, the state long-term care ombudsman. — BostonGlobe.com, 2 June 2021 Nets 123, Celtics 109 Brooklyn took care of business and finished off Boston in Game 5 to set up the huge second-round series against Milwaukee that everyone circled once the playoff bracket was finalized. — Matt Eppers, USA TODAY, 2 June 2021 Chang would like to implement universal child care, help Broadway rebound and revamp government technology. — Rachel Janfaza, CNN, 2 June 2021 Wet hair and all, leaving the salon felt like a small triumph - even if my real desire was to fly to Salt Lake City and visit my family, or to the Twin Cities to hug my grandmother, whose memory care facility was in a strict lockdown. — cleveland, 2 June 2021 Business leaders on Wednesday advocated for tax law changes and cited worker concerns about child care given unusual school schedules this past year as fueling the worker shortage. — Scott Bauer, chicagotribune.com, 2 June 2021 Among the parts of her foster care experience under scrutiny include Bryant being placed in five different foster homes within two years. — NBC News, 2 June 2021 The measure would specifically prevent the Defense Department from assigning a military family with a transgender dependent to a state or country that prohibits providing gender-affirming care to transgender individuals. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 2 June 2021 School nursing is a specialized practice that operates in environments very different from an acute care hospital setting. — Beth Jameson, The Conversation, 2 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb There are two reasons that a person in London or Los Angeles should care about vaccination rates in Lagos or São Paulo: simple humanity and simple biology. — Sue Halpern, The New Yorker, 3 June 2021 The likely political purpose of this palaver is to make personal taxes—the kind voters care deeply about—easier to raise in short order. — Joseph C. Sternberg, WSJ, 3 June 2021 What the finale proved, though, is that the impulses to care and to crime-solve can eventually collide. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 31 May 2021 Only moms can really, fully care about their patients?? — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 29 May 2021 Those who care about the fate of pillar 2 don’t want to sell it short. — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 27 May 2021 Does San Diego and its residents truly care about the most vulnerable in our community? — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2021 Yes, parents of Black athletes care about preparing their children for college, and the color of someone’s skin should not matter. — Eric Sondheimer Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2021 Most of them care about Israel, though one in 10 support the movement to boycott it. — Ben Sales, sun-sentinel.com, 11 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'care.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for care

Noun

Middle English, "sorrow, distress, concern," going back to Old English cearu, caru, going back to Germanic *karō (whence also Old Saxon kara "sorrow, worry," Old High German chara, Old Norse kǫr "sickbed," Gothic kara "concern") perhaps going back to an Indo-European base *ǵeh₂r-, *ǵh₂r- "make a sound, cry," whence Old Irish ad-gair "(s/he) accuses, sues," Middle Irish gáir "shout, cry," Welsh gawr, Greek gêrys "voice, speech," Middle Persian zryg, zryq "sorrow, suffering," Ossetic (Iron dialect) zæl- "make a sound," zar- "sing"

Note: The original meaning of the Indo-European verb base was perhaps "bewail the deceased," which might account for the divergent meanings "sorrow, care" and "make a sound, cry"; though given that the former meaning is only attested in Iranian and Germanic (in which the putative sense "make a sound," if it ever existed, has left no trace), it may be more likely that two separate Indo-European bases, one perhaps sound-symbolic, have partially merged. Note that the Indo-European reconstruction *ǵeh₂r-, *ǵh₂r- is based solely on presumed canonical root structure, as the only attested vocalisms for the base are *gar- and *gār-. Latin garrīre "to chatter, jabber," with geminate r, may be an unrelated onomatopoeic formation.

Verb

Middle English caren "to grieve, be anxious, be solicitous," going back to Old English cearian, carian, going back to Germanic *karōjan- (whence Old Saxon karon "to lament," Old High German karōn, Gothic karon "to be concerned"), derivative of *karō "sorrow, worry" — more at care entry 1

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Last Updated

5 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/care. Accessed 13 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for care

care

noun

English Language Learners Definition of care

(Entry 1 of 2)

: effort made to do something correctly, safely, or without causing damage

: things that are done to keep someone healthy, safe, etc.

: things that are done to keep something in good condition

care

verb

English Language Learners Definition of care (Entry 2 of 2)

: to feel interest in something : to be interested in or concerned about something

: to feel affection for someone

somewhat formal : to want to do something or to be something

See the full definition for care in the English Language Learners Dictionary

care

noun

\ ˈker

Kids Definition of care

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : serious attention Care is needed when crossing a busy street.

2 : protection sense 1, supervision The injured player is under a doctor's care.

3 : proper maintenance of property or equipment

4 : a feeling of concern or worry He acts as if he hasn't a care in the world.

care

verb

cared; caring

Kids Definition of care (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to feel interest or concern We care about what happens to you.

2 : to provide help, protection, or supervision to : look after His job is to care for the sick.

3 : to have a liking or desire Do you care for more tea?

care

noun

\ ˈka(ə)r, ˈke(ə)r

Medical Definition of care

: responsibility for or attention to health, well-being, and safety — see acute care, chronic care, health care, intensive care entry 1, primary care, secondary care, tertiary care

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care

noun

Legal Definition of care

1 : watchful or protective attention, caution, concern, prudence, or regard usually towards an action or situation especially : due care a person has a duty to use care in dealing with others, and failure to do so is negligence — R. I. Mehr — see also due care, negligence, standard of care

Note: Statute, case law, and custom often impose a duty of care. The degree or standard of care owed varies depending on the circumstances. For example, a landlord has to exercise greater care in relation to a tenant than to a trespasser.

2a : personal supervision or responsibility : charge

b : maintenance