Caution Someone Meaning
Definition: To warn a person.
To caution someone is to tell someone to be careful. If you know someone who is going to do something that could be dangerous, you would caution him or her away from doing that thing.
When someone is about to make a life-altering mistake, giving him advice about how to avoid making that mistake is cautioning him about it.
It is possible to caution someone who is in grave danger, and it is also possible to caution someone who is about to make smaller mistakes. To caution someone about something is to show care for the wellbeing of that person, no matter the situation.
Origin of Caution Someone
To take caution is to make sure to avoid danger. Therefore, to caution someone else is to help him or her avoid danger.
The word caution comes from the late 1200s. Taken from words in Middle English and Latin, caution originally meant to guard against something. This meaning still makes sense today because to caution someone about something is to try to guard him or her from making mistakes.
Examples of Caution Someone
A driving class instructor would caution his students about the dangers of the road. He would caution them about driving too fast and about how to handle conditions like rain and snow. By doing this, he is warning students about things that could cause problems on the road and is trying to help them stay safe.
While this phrase most commonly warns people about physical dangers—like those from a car crash—it can also be used to warn against emotional or mental dangers. For example, one could caution someone against dating a man who does not treat other people nicely.
More Examples
- Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry, a Democrat, has cautioned against passing forfeiture reform laws. –IndyStar
- Others caution against such doom and gloom. –Washington Post
Summary
To caution someone is to warn that person of potential danger.
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