caution — OAT

caution

noun

1 you are advised to proceed with caution:

care, carefulness, wariness, awareness, heedfulness, heed, attention, attentiveness, alertness, watchfulness, vigilance, hypervigilance, circumspection, discretion, prudence, guardedness, chariness, forethought, mindfulness;

informal caginess.

▷antonyms incaution, recklessness.

2 a first offender may receive a caution from the police:

warning, admonition, admonishment, injunction, monition;

reprimand, rebuke, reproof, scolding;

exhortation, guidance, caveat, counsel;

informal telling-off, dressing-down, talking-to;

British, informal ticking off, carpeting.

verb

1 advisers have cautioned against tax increases:

advise, warn, recommend, counsel, urge, admonish, exhort.

2 he was cautioned by the police:

warn, admonish, give an injunction to;

reprimand, rebuke, reprove, scold;

informal tell off, give someone a telling-off, give someone a dressing-down, give someone a talking-to;

British, informal give someone a ticking-off, carpet.