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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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

Notably, Marvell built some prudence into that spending guide, assuming the current rate of capex growth will moderate over the forecast period and move closer to historical levels in the out-years.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
That might well be a sign of prudence on the part of fashion brands, which have been trying to boost full-price sales by not over-ordering inventory.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of prudence

Browse Nearby Words

circumspect

circumspection

circumspectly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Circumspection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumspection. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of circumspection

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes