caution

B1 Topic:Safety & Risk

US /ˈkɔʃ(ə)n/ UK /ˈkɔːʃ(ə)n/ See IPA manual

Freq #7295

Meanings

1

noun
Great care taken to avoid danger or mistakes.

Drivers should proceed with caution on icy roads.
2

verb
To warn someone that something could be dangerous or risky.

The doctor cautioned him against eating too much sugar.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · great care taken to avoid... care carefulness

2 verb · to warn someone that... warn

More caginesscautiousness circumspection heed heedfulness prudencereckfulnesswariness

Opposites

incaution

Word family

Forms cautionedcautioningcautions

Derived forms cautionarycautionercautioushypercautionincautionovercautionprecaution

Related forms cautious cautiously caveat timid timidity timidly

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

throw caution to the wind
to act boldly or recklessly without considering the possible consequences

Etymology

Recorded since 1297 as Middle English caucioun (“bail, guarantee, pledge”), from Old French caution (“security, surety”), itself from Latin cautiō, from cautus, past participle of caveō, cavēre (“be on one's guard”).

caucioun Middle English caution Old French cautiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Safety & Risk

External links

# caution

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɔʃ(ə)n/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɔːʃ(ə)n/
**Frequency rank:** 7295

## Meanings
1. Great care taken to avoid danger or mistakes.
2. To warn someone that something could be dangerous or risky.

## Examples
- Drivers should proceed with caution on icy roads.
- The doctor cautioned him against eating too much sugar.

## Synonyms
- caginess
- care
- carefulness
- cautiousness
- circumspection
- heed
- heedfulness
- prudence
- reckfulness
- wariness

## Antonyms
- incaution

## Derived Forms
- cautionary
- cautioner
- cautious
- hypercaution
- incaution
- overcaution
- precaution

## Related Forms
- cautious
- cautiously
- caveat
- timid
- timidity
- timidly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: caucioun
- Root: caution
- Root: cautiō

## Etymology
Recorded since 1297 as Middle English caucioun (“bail, guarantee, pledge”), from Old French caution (“security, surety”), itself from Latin cautiō, from cautus, past participle of caveō, cavēre (“be on one's guard”).

## AI Etymology
caution is a noun and verb. It has been recorded since 1297 as Middle English caucioun (“bail, guarantee, pledge”), from Old French caution (“security, surety”), itself from Latin cautiō, from cautus, past participle of caveō, cavēre (“be on one's guard”). Historical forms in the chain include caucioun (Middle English), caution (Old French), and cautiō (Latin). Current senses include great care taken to avoid danger or mistakes and to warn someone that something could be dangerous or risky. Derived forms include cautionary, cautioner, cautious, hypercaution, and incaution. Related words include cautious, cautiously, caveat, and timid.

## Topics
- Safety & Risk

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