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
Synonyms
Examples of careful in a Sentence
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
Shephard and the series’ writers are careful not to spotlight the violence visually.
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
In fact, while some of the city’s current surplus can be credited to careful planning and preparation, a lot of it also had to do with luck, Gold said.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
There is a proposal on the table that was arrived at with very careful diplomacy with our Israeli counterparts, led by the CIA Director Bill Burns.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2024
It is made after careful consideration and reflection.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Beijing’s and Moscow’s actions are indeed driving some profound changes to the global order, but these are not necessarily informed by careful strategic plans and well-articulated visions.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
While careful individuals can likely use this indoors (have a drain hose and some towels handy), it’s meant for outdoor use.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Rules in the psilocybin industry are much more restrictive than those for cannabis ever were, because many people believe unlocking the possible benefits of these drugs requires more careful support and perceive the risks of a bad trip as higher.
—Jane C. Hu, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Because the position of the moon during totality and the timing of totality itself were unmistakable, Williams knew that making careful observations of both could help improve the lunar distance method.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
In fact, while some of the city’s current surplus can be credited to careful planning and preparation, a lot of it also had to do with luck, Gold said.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
There is a proposal on the table that was arrived at with very careful diplomacy with our Israeli counterparts, led by the CIA Director Bill Burns.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2024
It is made after careful consideration and reflection.
—Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Beijing’s and Moscow’s actions are indeed driving some profound changes to the global order, but these are not necessarily informed by careful strategic plans and well-articulated visions.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
While careful individuals can likely use this indoors (have a drain hose and some towels handy), it’s meant for outdoor use.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Rules in the psilocybin industry are much more restrictive than those for cannabis ever were, because many people believe unlocking the possible benefits of these drugs requires more careful support and perceive the risks of a bad trip as higher.
—Jane C. Hu, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Because the position of the moon during totality and the timing of totality itself were unmistakable, Williams knew that making careful observations of both could help improve the lunar distance method.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'careful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near careful
Cite this Entry
“Careful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careful. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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