CIRCUMSPECTION Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

circumspection

noun

Definition of circumspection

as in carefulness

a close attentiveness to avoiding danger circumspection is always good when considering charging someone with cheating

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of circumspection Faragna motioned to Nardulli to step to one side and spoke into his ear with circumspection. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026 The machine moves with circumspection, as if consciousness had just been ensouled in a new body. — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 6 July 2026 His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026 This circumspection was by design. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026 Taking over a large country ought to be done with circumspection and consensus, not the self-aggrandizement and demagoguery of a massive personality disorder. — John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026 The higher the production value, the faster the host is talking, and the more likely the kinetic nature of the video is to send your nervous system into full-on seizure mode, the more likely the information delivered is to be viewed with a certain level of circumspection. — Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025 And so, in this department, a certain degree of circumspection is the rule. — Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 There’s much more circumspection in Alan than people give him credit for. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumspection

Noun

This carefulness is clearly strategic.

— Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
There was no carefulness in it.

— Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Definition of carefulness

Noun

In light of the strong growth and inflation figures, the BOK would likely need to continue to raise rates, albeit with some caution, said Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
His predictions mostly involved preaching to the AI evangelist choir, and his fervor for the tech evidently led him to throw caution to the winds of Wall Street.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of caution

Noun

Short-term rates went to 5% and change, Treasury bills paid more than investment grade corporates, and savers who had spent fifteen years being punished for prudence suddenly got paid handsomely for doing nothing.

— Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
In those conditions, United’s prudence makes financial sense.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of prudence

Noun

Flowers like geraniums, coleus, and lavender are easy to propagate and maintain with proper care indoors.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Slate chips replace the usual bark or mulch, and layered plantings, custom window boxes and a medallion set into the rear of the fireplace show the same level of care found indoors.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of care

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circumspect

circumspection

circumspectly

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“Circumspection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumspection. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumspection

noun

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