Meaning & use
circumspect
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Meaning
adjectivecomparableapproving
Careful and wary, thinking about possible risks or results before acting or speaking.
Grammar: Goes after be or before a noun; often followed by in or about: circumspect in his choice of words.
Patterns
- circumspect about something
- circumspect in doing something
- be circumspect
She was circumspect about her plans and told no one.
The minister was circumspect in his public comments.
Investors have become more circumspect after the crash.
Word forms
| comparative | more circumspect |
|---|---|
| superlative | most circumspect |
Common combinations
- circumspect about
- He remained circumspect about the deal.
- circumspect in
- She was circumspect in her dealings with the press.
- remain circumspect
- It is wise to remain circumspect until the facts are known.
- a circumspect approach
- The lawyer took a circumspect approach to the case.
- circumspect response
- His circumspect response gave nothing away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cautious
- Cautious is the everyday word, while circumspect suggests deliberately weighing every consequence.
- prudent
- Prudent stresses good judgment and sensible planning, especially with money or risk.
- wary
- Wary suggests being suspicious because of a possible danger.
- discreet
- Discreet is about keeping things private, whereas circumspect is about weighing consequences.
Opposites
Word family
- circumspection noun
- careful consideration of risks
- circumspectly adverb
- in a careful, watchful way
- circumspectness noun
- the quality of being circumspect
- inspect verb
- to look at closely, from the same Latin root meaning to look
Commonly confused: circumspect or circumscribe?
circumspect vs circumscribe
Circumscribe means to draw a boundary around something or restrict it; circumspect means careful, though they share the circum- start.
Practice
After losing money in the last deal, investors became more ____ and studied every contract with care.
Choose one answer.
Circumspect means careful about risks, which suits investors who studied contracts after a loss. Reckless means the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “circumspect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.