cautionary

/ˈkɔːʃəˌneɹi/KAW-shuh-neh-ree

UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked

/ˈkɔʃəˌnɛɹi/KAW-shuh-neh-ree

Meaninggiving caution

Common meaning: serving as a warning

Tap a word part to explore

cauttake heed, keep watchLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 305 · scan
ionnoun ending: act or result
aryending: linked with, or a place for

Journey through time

Proto-Indo-European*skaw-‘look, see, perceive, beware of’source
Latincaveō, cāvī, cautum‘take heed, keep watch’
Frenchcaution
Middle Englishcaucionsource
Englishcaution‘care to avoid danger’
Englishformed in English from cautioncautionary‘serving as a warning’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from caution + -ary.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), CAUTION, p.99 · scan

Roots

caveō, cāvī, cautum Latin “take heed, keep watch”

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