cautionary

American  

[kaw-shuh-ner-ee] / ˈkɔ ʃəˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. of the nature of or containing a warning.

   cautionary advice; a cautionary tale.

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cautionary British  

/ ˈkɔːʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. serving as a warning; intended to warn

   a cautionary tale

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Etymology

Origin of cautionary

First recorded in 1590–1600; caution + -ary

Explanation

When something is cautionary, it’s meant to be a warning to you. Your parents might be fond of telling cautionary tales, like the one about the girl who got electrocuted sticking a knife into the toaster. While driving, look for cautionary signs warning you of potential danger: falling rocks, kids crossing, hidden driveway. You might use cautionary words: “Watch your step! There’s glass all over the floor!” Don’t confuse cautionary with cautious, which means trying to avoid danger. Tell a cautionary tale about someone drowning because he swam too far out into the ocean and an overly cautious kid might decide never to swim again.

Example Sentences

The sport has already lived through the cautionary tale of Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao, which shattered records when it finally happened but fell flat.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant open their book User Friendly with the cautionary tale of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Combining with Unilever’s food division would remake McCormick into a global powerhouse, but the recent history of Big Food mergers hits a cautionary note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

These partnerships can be risky, regulators say, and the April 2024 collapse of Synapse Financial Technologies serves as a cautionary tale.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Whatever cautionary value the tale may have had was thus lost, and now here she was, in a hayloft with a pirate, and rather pleased about it, too.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood