careless

adjective

care·​less ˈker-ləs How to pronounce careless (audio)
1
a
: free from care : untroubled
careless days
b
: indifferent, unconcerned
careless of the consequences
2
: not taking care
My brother was too careless of his charge.Shakespeare
3
: not showing or receiving care:
a
: negligent, slovenly
careless writing
b
: unstudied, spontaneous
a careless grace
a careless glance
c
obsolete : unvalued, disregarded
carelessly adverb
carelessness noun

Examples of careless in a Sentence

He is a careless worker. She was careless with my things. It was a careless mistake. a newspaper known for careless reporting
Recent Examples on the Web Singapore famously banned the sale, import and manufacturing of chewing gum in 1992, blaming the careless disposal of the substance on subways for gumming up service. By dee-Ann Durbin, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Current and former employees of Neuralink at the time accused the company of rushing to market, according to Reuters, resulting in careless animal deaths. Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 Utah was at times careless with the ball, turning it over 18 times, which Boston turned into 26 points. Kyle Hightower, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2024 In August 2022, he was stopped for driving without a valid license and careless driving, Tonganoxie police records said. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2024 The Bluejays went ahead for good with nine minutes left in the first half but a run of careless turnovers and 1-for-7 shooting to end the half kept them from pulling away until early in the second. Eric Olson, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024 The Bluejays went ahead for good with nine minutes left in the first half, but a run of careless turnovers and 1-for-7 shooting to end the half kept them from pulling away until early in the second. Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2024 That latter idea hasn’t prevented the Suns from being careless with the ball. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 6 Jan. 2024 Jackson County prosecutors charged Stoff, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of careless and imprudent driving. Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'careless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of careless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near careless

Cite this Entry

“Careless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

careless

adjective
care·​less ˈke(ə)r-ləs How to pronounce careless (audio)
ˈka(ə)r-
1
: free from care : not troubled
2
: not taking proper care
a careless worker
3
: done, made, or said without proper care
a careless mistake
carelessly adverb
carelessness noun

Legal Definition

careless

adjective
care·​less
: not showing due care : negligent
careless driving
compare reckless

More from Merriam-Webster on careless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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