Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you are careful, you give serious attention to what you are doing, in order to avoid harm, damage, or mistakes. If you are careful to do something, you make sure that you do it.
Careful on those stairs!...
We had to be very careful not to be seen...
Pupils will need careful guidance on their choice of options.
? careless
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ about/with/of n, ADJ to-inf
• carefully
Have a nice time, dear, and drive carefully...
He had chosen his words carefully in declaring that the murderers were madmen.
? carelessly
ADV: ADV with v
2.
Careful work, thought, or examination is thorough and shows a concern for details.
He has decided to prosecute her after careful consideration of all the relevant facts...
What we now know about the disease was learned by careful study of diseased organs.
= painstaking
ADJ: usu ADJ n
• carefully
He explained very carefully what he was doing.
ADV: ADV with v
3.
If you tell someone to be careful about doing something, you think that what they intend to do is probably wrong, and that they should think seriously before they do it.
I think you should be careful about talking of the rebels as heroes...
ADJ: v-link ADJ about/of -ing
• carefully
He should think carefully about actions like this which play into the hands of his opponents.
ADV: ADV after v
4.
If you are careful with something such as money or resources, you use or spend only what is necessary.
It would force industries to be more careful with natural resources.
= prudent
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ with n