Carefully
//ˈkɛːf(ə)li// adv
adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 Sorrowfully. obsolete
"[…] there was she faine / To call them all in order to her ayde, / And them conjure, upon eternall paine, / To counsell her, so carefully dismayd, / How she might heale her sonne […]"
- 2 With care; attentively, circumspectly.
"As he was a politician, he discussed all subjects carefully, not offending anyone."
- 3 Conscientiously, painstakingly, fastidiously, meticulously
Adverb
- 1 taking care or paying attention wordnet
- 2 as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact wordnet
Example
More examples"Look carefully. I'm going to show you how it's done."
Etymology
From Middle English carfulli, carefulliche, from Old English carfullīċe, ċearfullīċe (“carefully, diligently”), equivalent to careful + -ly.
Related phrases
More for "carefully"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.