carefully

carefully

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Pronunciation

 /ˈkɛərfl̩i/.

• care- /kɛər/:

• /k/ - voiceless velar plosive

• /ɛər/ - diphthong (as in "fair")

• -ful- /fəl/:

• /f/ - voiceless labiodental fricative

• /l̩/ - syllabic lateral approximant (the 'u' sound is reduced to a schwa, and the 'l' takes on the syllabic quality, meaning it forms a syllable on its own without a vowel)

• -ly /li/:

• /l/ - voiced alveolar lateral approximant

• /i/ - close front unrounded vowel (as in "fleet")

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Word Form Variations

Noun:

• Care (singular) - refers to attention, concern, protection, or worry.

• Cares (plural) - refers to multiple worries or concerns.

Verb:

• Care (base form/present tense for I, you, we, they)

• Cares (present tense for he, she, it)

• Caring (present participle/gerund)

• Cared (past tense/past participle)

Adjective:

• Careful - describes someone or something as taking caution or showing attention to detail.

• Careless (antonym) - describes someone or something as lacking caution or attention.

• Caring - describes someone as showing kindness and concern for others.

• Uncaring (antonym) - describes someone as lacking kindness or concern.

Adverb:

• Carefully - the adverb form of "careful," meaning in a careful manner.

• Carelessly (antonym) - the adverb form of "careless," meaning in a careless manner.

Other Related Noun:

• Carefulness - the quality or state of being careful.

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

Care

1. Definition: Profound and diligent attention given to an action, task, or object, often with the intention of avoiding harm, error, or damage.

• Synonyms: Precaution, prudence, meticulousness, vigilance, attentiveness.

• Antonyms: Neglect, carelessness, oversight, inattention.

2. Definition: A state of emotional burden, worry, or anxiety, often stemming from responsibility or concern for another's well-being.

• Synonyms: Worry, concern, anxiety, distress, trouble.

• Antonyms: Ease, tranquility, peace, calm, serenity.

Verb

Care

1. Definition: To feel or show concern, affection, or a sense of responsibility towards someone or something.

• Synonyms: Cherish, nurture, look after, attend to, be concerned.

• Antonyms: Neglect, disregard, abandon, ignore.

2. Definition: To maintain a strong desire or preference for something; to be bothered or affected by. (Often used in negative constructions).

• Example: "I don't care if it rains."

• Synonyms: Mind, bother, concern oneself.

• Antonyms: Disregard, dismiss, ignore.

Adjective

Careful

1. Definition: Exhibiting caution and thoroughness in one's actions or approach, often to prevent mistakes, accidents, or undesirable outcomes.

• Synonyms: Cautious, meticulous, thorough, scrupulous, precise, circumspect.

• Antonyms: Careless, reckless, hasty, sloppy, negligent.

2. Definition: Exercising good judgment and consideration for potential risks or consequences.

• Synonyms: Prudent, discerning, judicious, thoughtful.

• Antonyms: Imprudent, rash, ill-advised, thoughtless.

Caring

1. Definition: Demonstrating empathy, kindness, and concern for the well-being of others.

• Synonyms: Compassionate, benevolent, empathetic, kind, considerate, warm-hearted.

• Antonyms: Uncaring, insensitive, cold-hearted, indifferent, cruel.

Adverb

Carefully

1. Definition: In a manner that is cautious, precise, and attentive to detail, typically to avoid error, damage, or harm.

• Synonyms: Cautiously, meticulously, precisely, thoughtfully, attentively, painstakingly.

• Antonyms: Carelessly, recklessly, negligently, haphazardly, thoughtlessly, roughly.

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Examples of Use

In Books:

• "When we were finished we considered it carefully." (Alcoholics Anonymous, Big Book, p. 65) - This quote emphasizes the deliberate and thoughtful consideration of a plan or decision.

• "Read Carefully." (Andrea Montgomery, Read Carefully blog post, referencing a potential imperative for novels, October 10, 2024) - This highlights the importance of attentive reading for comprehension and appreciation of the author's intent.

• "As we glance down the debit side of the day's ledger, we should carefully examine our motives in each thought or act that appears to be wrong." (Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, p. 94) - This advises a meticulous and honest self-assessment.

In Newspapers:

• "In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country." (Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, quoted on Goodreads) - This illustrates a principled approach to journalistic integrity.

• "Read the passage and answer carefully: Newspapers are our good friends." (Filo, educational resource for reading comprehension, March 1, 2025) - This is a common instruction found in educational contexts, emphasizing the need for precise understanding.

• "Organizing ideas and opinions into sentences and paragraphs through editorials within news articles must be paid careful attention." (ResearchGate, The frequency of systematic semantic relations in newspaper discourse, citing Sitio, Nasution, & Nurlela) - This emphasizes the detailed work involved in crafting clear and cohesive journalistic content.

In Online Publications:

• "Secondary Sources (use carefully or Avoid)." (University of Toronto Libraries, CIN201: Film Cultures 1: Art & Industry, 2025) - This advises academic caution when utilizing certain types of sources in research.

• "What is COPE Focus? Carefully chosen collections of our most important resources on a topic." (Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE website) - This highlights a curated selection process for important information.

• "ACM calls on online businesses to check carefully what new DSA rules they must comply with." (ACM, Authority for Consumers and Markets, 2024) - This urges businesses to conduct a thorough review of regulations to ensure compliance.

In Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• "Carefully designed programs. Grant programs. Equipped workspaces." (Creative Economy Practice, Entertainment and Media Hubs, Nairobi, Kenya) - This describes the intentional and thoughtful development of resources for creatives.

• "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil." (Pastor Tom Hicks, How should Christians manage time in entertainment?, quoting Ephesians 5:15-16, February 5, 2020) - While a religious context, it speaks to making deliberate and wise choices regarding leisure.

• In many video games, especially puzzle or strategy games, players are often given instructions like "Proceed carefully" or "Observe the enemy carefully" to encourage tactical thinking and avoid mistakes. (General observation of gaming instructions)

• Film reviews often use "carefully" to describe direction, acting, or screenwriting. For example, "The director carefully crafted each scene to build suspense." (Common usage in film criticism)

In General Public Discourse:

• "Humility says 'No' to the pride that prevents open communication, thus encouraging a willingness to consider carefully others' opinions and perspectives." (Hope College, Virtues of Public Discourse) - This emphasizes the importance of thoughtful engagement in discussions.

• "I strive to convey the nuances of my thinking, and generally prioritize avoiding harm over getting attention. My communications often take patience to read through, but have relatively low risk of leaving people with problematic impressions." (EA Forum, Some Thoughts on Public Discourse, 2017) - This illustrates a deliberate and cautious approach to communication in public forums.

• "Please drive carefully in this area." (Common road sign or public announcement) - A direct instruction to exercise caution for safety.

• "You need to think carefully about your next career move." (Common advice given in personal conversations) - Encourages deliberate and thorough consideration of a significant decision.

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10 Famous Quotes Using Carefully

1. "When we were finished we considered it carefully." (Alcoholics Anonymous, Big Book, p. 65)

2. "What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, paraphrased) - While not using "carefully," this implies the need to act carefully and deliberately, as actions often carry more weight than words.

3. "I have tried carefully to avoid mixing up the give and take of the market with the give and take of friendship." (Henry Ford, My Life and Work, 1922)

4. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise." (Ephesians 5:15, Bible - various translations)

5. "Only those who are carefully chosen and trained can be entrusted with the delicate responsibility of leadership." (Nelson Mandela, commonly attributed, reflecting his philosophy)

6. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." (Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia) - This quote, while not using "carefully," strongly implies the need to gather and examine data carefully before drawing conclusions.

7. "Ideas are like seeds. For them to sprout, they need to be planted carefully in the right soil." (Unknown author, common metaphorical saying)

8. "Always stand on principle, even if you stand alone." (John Adams, commonly attributed) - This highlights the need to carefully consider and adhere to one's principles.

9. "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." (Thomas Jefferson, commonly attributed to John Philpot Curran) - This emphasizes the constant and careful watchfulness required to maintain freedom.

10. "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley." (Robert Burns, To a Mouse) - This quote suggests that even the most carefully planned endeavors can go wrong, highlighting the unpredictable nature of life.

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Etymology

Let's break down the history of "carefully" in simple terms.

"Carefully" is an adverb, and like many adverbs, it's formed by adding "-ly" to an adjective. So, to understand "carefully," we need to look at its root words: "care" and "full."

1. "Care": This word comes from Old English, specifically from the word "caru" (sometimes "cearu"). In its earliest forms, around the 8th or 9th century, "caru" primarily meant "grief," "sorrow," "anxiety," or "burden." It also had a sense of "charge" or "responsibility." So, if you had "caru," you were either experiencing sadness or carrying a responsibility.
   
   

2. "-full": This suffix comes from Old English "-ful" or "-full," meaning "full of," "characterized by," or "having the quality of."
   
   

3. "Careful" (the adjective): When "care" and "-full" combined to form "careful" (first appearing around the 13th century), the meaning shifted from just "grief" or "burden." "Careful" came to mean "full of care" in the sense of being "full of concern" or "full of caution." The earliest uses of "careful" referred to being attentive, diligent, or cautious, often to avoid harm or error.
   
   

4. "Carefully" (the adverb): Finally, the adverb "carefully" was formed by adding the common adverbial suffix "-ly" (from Old English "-lice") to the adjective "careful." This happened around the 14th century.
   
   

First known use and meaning of "carefully":

When "carefully" first appeared, its meaning was consistent with its roots: "in a manner full of care" or "with careful attention/caution." It described an action performed with diligence, prudence, or a watchful eye, usually to prevent mistakes, accidents, or undesirable outcomes.

So, while the root "care" initially had a strong emotional component of sorrow, the combination into "careful" and then "carefully" evolved to emphasize the attentive, cautious, and deliberate execution of an action.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Carefully

Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "carefully" or its close synonyms, including some lesser-known or constructed for similar effect:

1. Tread carefully: To act with great caution, especially in a delicate or risky situation.

2. Handle with care: To treat something gently and with great caution to avoid damage or harm.

3. Choose your words carefully: To select your language precisely and thoughtfully to avoid misunderstanding or offense.

4. Carefully weigh the options: To thoroughly consider all available choices before making a decision.

5. Watch your step carefully: An admonition to walk with attention to potential hazards; metaphorically, to be cautious in one's actions.

6. Proceed carefully: To move forward with caution and attention, especially in an uncertain situation.

7. Carefully thought out: Describes a plan or idea that has been developed with much consideration and foresight.

8. Carefully constructed argument: A well-reasoned and logically built argument.

9. Walk the tightrope carefully: To navigate a very precarious or difficult situation with extreme caution. (Synonym for similar effect)

10. A meticulously planned operation: Describes an action or project that has been very thoroughly and carefully organized. (Synonym for similar effect)

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of carefully from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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