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cautiously

American  
[kaw-shuhs-lee] / ˈkɔ ʃəs li /

adverb

  1. in a way that shows alertness and prudence in a hazardous or uncertain situation; carefully; warily.

    He stepped cautiously onto the loose planks.

    I am cautiously optimistic that both parties will accept the compromise.

Other Word Forms

  • hypercautiously adverb
  • ultracautiously adverb
  • uncautiously adverb

Etymology

Origin of cautiously

First recorded in 1610–20; cautious ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

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.