Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cautelous

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: cautelous
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Skillful in trickery or deception; cunning, wily.

Obsolete

adj

Cautious, careful.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"The least touch of [Gaveston's] memory adds more to the King's affliction, who is fixt not to forget, or forgive, so bold and heinous a Trespass. The operations in the King were yet so powerful, but the jelousies of the Actors [who have killed Gaveston] are as cautelous, so fair a warning-piece bids them in time make good their own security. Lincoln, the principal Pillar of this Faction, follows his Adversary [Gaveston] to the Grave, but with a much fairer Fortune."
"I am not able to unfold, how this cautelous enterprise of licencing can be exempted from the number of vain and impossible attempts."
"Some are of disposition fearefull, some bold, most cautelous, all Savage."

Etymology

From Middle French cauteleux.

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: cauteleux

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

more cautelous (comparative) most cautelous (superlative)

Derived Forms

incautelous

Frequently Paired Words

cautel cautelously cautelousness

Questions

What does cautelous mean?: Skillful in trickery or deception; cunning, wily.
Where does cautelous come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce cautelous

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cautelous”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cautelous”.
Repeat and practice — Say “cautelous” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.