1
: warning, admonishment
Her comments were intended as a caution to us to protect our property.
2
: precaution
a surgeon taking the caution of sterilizing his instruments
3
: prudent forethought to minimize risk
Use caution when operating a chain saw.
4
: one that astonishes or commands attention
some shoes you see … these days are a caution—
Esquire
EsquireSynonyms
Examples of caution in a Sentence
Noun
You should use caution when operating the electric saw.
He injected a note of caution in his talk.
Her financial adviser urged caution before investing in the project.
The roads are slippery: drive with extreme caution.
Her comments were intended as a caution to us to protect our property.
A note of caution: be sure that the electricity is off before you install the ceiling fan.
She was given a caution by the magistrate.
Verb
Officials are cautioning that the war may continue for years.
“Don't decide too quickly,” she cautioned.
He was cautioned for speeding.
Recent Examples on the WebMark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Use caution and take supplements with a healthcare provider's guidance.
—Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 17 Apr. 2024
The campaign could also urge motorcycle riders to use caution, wear helmets and be prepared to stop while lane filtering.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Enjoy the outdoors, just use a little caution, and know what to do in case of a bite.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Farther west, the McKees Rocks Bridge was temporarily closed out of caution before reopening Saturday morning.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
No caution tape closed off the patio outside the bar.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Before the war, some voices in the Kremlin privately urged caution and advised against blindly rushing into China’s arms.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
In order to avoid adverse effects like these, parents should especially exercise caution when giving young children melatonin.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2024
Some church members cautioned him against speaking out in support of migrants or allotting more church resources to them.
—Matt Brown, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
But analysts caution pro-Palestinian demonstrators may undermine popular opinion if the public feels that demonstrators are undertaking too radical of protest tactics.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
In the wake of that procedure, Dodgers officials entered this spring cautioning that Pages might need time to fully regain form.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The Internal Revenue Service has also cautioned taxpayers against interpreting dubious social media advice as legitimate, saying that following wrong advice could potentially lead to fines.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Some Israel advocates cautioned against conflating online energy with public opinion, and alluded to concerns about misinformation.
—Sheera Frenkel, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Sticky inflation Dimon acknowledged strong economic performance of late but cautioned of long-term trends that could undermine the gains.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Prospective investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.
—Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Our present age of anxiety — which includes post-pandemic economic challenges to the arts, diminished attention spans and audiences seeking escape from all but virtual reality — has ushered in an atmosphere of caution in just about everything presented to the public.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Use caution and take supplements with a healthcare provider's guidance.
—Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 17 Apr. 2024
The campaign could also urge motorcycle riders to use caution, wear helmets and be prepared to stop while lane filtering.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Enjoy the outdoors, just use a little caution, and know what to do in case of a bite.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Farther west, the McKees Rocks Bridge was temporarily closed out of caution before reopening Saturday morning.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
No caution tape closed off the patio outside the bar.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Before the war, some voices in the Kremlin privately urged caution and advised against blindly rushing into China’s arms.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
In order to avoid adverse effects like these, parents should especially exercise caution when giving young children melatonin.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Other law enforcement officials cautioned that those shot but not convicted of violent crimes may have posed a threat to officers but benefited from a lack of evidence to prove it.
—Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2024
Some church members cautioned him against speaking out in support of migrants or allotting more church resources to them.
—Matt Brown, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
But analysts caution pro-Palestinian demonstrators may undermine popular opinion if the public feels that demonstrators are undertaking too radical of protest tactics.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
In the wake of that procedure, Dodgers officials entered this spring cautioning that Pages might need time to fully regain form.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The Internal Revenue Service has also cautioned taxpayers against interpreting dubious social media advice as legitimate, saying that following wrong advice could potentially lead to fines.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Some Israel advocates cautioned against conflating online energy with public opinion, and alluded to concerns about misinformation.
—Sheera Frenkel, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Sticky inflation Dimon acknowledged strong economic performance of late but cautioned of long-term trends that could undermine the gains.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Prospective investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.
—Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Caution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caution. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
caution
1 of 2 noun
cau·tion
ˈkȯ-shən 
1
2
: carefulness in regard to danger
3
: someone or something that astonishes or catches one's attention
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