mindful
Americanadjective
-
attentive, aware, or careful (usually followed byof ).
mindful of one's responsibilities.
-
noting or relating to the psychological technique of mindfulness.
mindful observation of one's experiences.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- mindfully adverb
- mindfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of mindful
First recorded in 1375–1425, mindful is from the late Middle English word mindeful. See mind, -ful
Explanation
Being mindful means paying close attention to or being especially conscious of something. If you are aware of the fact that your friend is upset, you're mindful of her feelings. Sometimes mindful has the sense of "careful," as when a farmer is mindful of the amount of water she uses during a drought, or when you're mindful of the fact that your little sister easily gets her feelings hurt. In Old English, myndful meant "of good memory," or "having a good mind," while the related word myndig had a meaning similar to today's mindful.
Vocabulary lists containing mindful
Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1
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Careful
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Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’re just trying to be more mindful of our commercial corridors, where jobs can be created,” says Delta Township Supervisor Fonda Brewer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
I need a mindful strategy to handle this marvelous, insidious technology, now that it’s up to me.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
"I do think playing them can be more mindful than other games that require lots of cognitive engagement to coordinate with teammates or react in a split second."
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
“Obviously,” Iger continued, “we’ve been mindful of the significant growth in AI” and mentioned OpenAI’s “agreement to both honor and value and respect our content.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
But I hesitated, unsure whether I had the courage to push through Baltimore’s angry mobs, mindful of what might be waiting for us when we gathered at the Barnum Hotel.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
