- showing or having caution; wary; prudent
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cau•tious /ˈkɔʃəs/USA pronunciation
adj.
cau•tious•ness, n. [uncountable]See -caut-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- showing or using caution: a cautious approach.
cau•tious•ness, n. [uncountable]See -caut-.
cau•tious
(kô′shəs),USA pronunciation adj.
cau′tious•ly, adv.
cau′tious•ness, n.
- showing, using, or characterized by caution:a cautious man; To be cautious is often to show wisdom.
- cauti(on) + -ous 1630–40
cau′tious•ness, n.
- prudent, guarded, wary, chary, circumspect, watchful, vigilant. See careful.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cautious /ˈkɔːʃəs/ adj
'cautious' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
beware
- cagey
- calculating
- careful
- circumspect
- conservative
- Fabian
- feel
- gingerly
- hedge
- incautious
- mind
- old maid
- old woman
- phase in
- prudent
- tentative
- wary
- advise
- brash
- canny
- chary
- circumspective
- deliberate
- doubly
- enterprising
- extreme
- guarded
- heedless
- hooly
- overcautious
- piker
- prodigal
- provident
- pussyfoot
- rash
- ressentiment
- tiptoe
- trim
- unguarded
- unwary
- venturesome
- ware
- watch
- watchful
- Young Turk
- scrupulous
- secret
- shy
- sixth sense