cautious, circumspect, wary, chary mean prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk. cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger.

CAUTIOUS definition: 1. Someone who is cautious avoids risks: 2. A cautious action is careful, well considered, and…. Learn more.

Definition of cautious adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. Showing or practicing caution; careful. 2. Tentative or restrained; guarded: felt a cautious optimism that the offer would be accepted.

If you describe someone's attitude or reaction as cautious, you mean that it is limited or careful. He has been seen as a champion of a more cautious approach to economic reform.

Sep 7, 2025 · cautious (comparative more cautious, superlative most cautious) Using or exercising caution; careful; tentative

CAUTIOUS definition: showing, using, or characterized by alertness and prudence in a hazardous or uncertain situation; careful or wary. See examples of cautious used in a sentence.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 cau•tious (kô′ shəs), adj. showing, using, or characterized by caution: a cautious man; To be cautious is often to …

Any cautious tourist will guard her passport. You cannot be overly/too cautious when you're driving in snow. He answered the question with a cautious reply.

A fusing of caution and ous, the adjective cautious is the opposite of hasty and rash. It actually comes from the Latin word cautus, which means "careful" or "heedful." Cautious people always take their …