circumspect

English

WOTD – 11 October 2009

Etymology

From Latin circumspectō (“look around”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜː.kəm.spɛkt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝ.kəm.spɛkt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

circumspect (comparative more circumspect, superlative most circumspect)

1. Carefully aware of all circumstances; considerate of all that is pertinent.

   Synonyms: cautious, chary, prudent, thoughtful, vigilant, wary

   Being aware of the danger of upsetting her audience, she was somewhat circumspect in her comments.

   • 1959 March, “Talking of Trains: Scottish reorganisation”, in Trains Illustrated, page 119:

     Comment must be circumspect until fuller particulars are available, [...].

Derived terms

• circumspectly
• circumspective

Related terms

• circumspection

Translations

carefully aware of all circumstances

• Bulgarian: внимателен (bg) (vnimatelen), предпазлив (bg) (predpazliv)
• Catalan: circumspecte
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 细心的 (zh), 慎重的 (zh)

• Czech: obezřetný (cs) m
• Danish: varsom (da), forsigtig
• Dutch: omzichtig (nl), behoedzaam (nl)
• Estonian: ettevaatlik
• Finnish: harkitsevainen (fi), varovainen (fi), huolellinen (fi), tarkkaavainen (fi)
• French: circonspect (fr)
• German: vorsichtig (de), umsichtig (de)
• Greek: επιφυλακτικός (el) (epifylaktikós)
• Hungarian: körültekintő (hu), óvatos (hu), elővigyázatos (hu)
• Italian: cauto (it) m, prudente (it) m or f
• Macedonian: претпазлив m (pretpazliv)
• Maori: pukumahara, whakatōngā
• Norwegian: omstendelig (no)
• Old English: besċēawod
• Polish: ostrożny (pl)
• Portuguese: prudente (pt), cuidadoso (pt), cauteloso (pt), circunspecto (pt), circunspeto (pt)
• Russian: осмотрительный (ru) (osmotritelʹnyj), бди́тельный (ru) (bdítelʹnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ра́зборит, промишљат, о̏пре̄зан, свје̏стан

  Roman: rázborit (sh) m, promišljat, ȍprēzan (sh), svjȅstan (sh)

• Spanish: circunspecto (es), cauteloso (es), cauto (es), precavido (es), prudente (es)

References

• “circumspect”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circumspectus or French circonspect.

Adjective

circumspect m or n (feminine singular circumspectă, masculine plural circumspecți, feminine and neuter plural circumspecte)

1. circumspect, cautious, prudent

Declension

Declension of circumspect

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	circumspect		circumspectă	circumspecți	circumspecte
	definite	circumspectul		circumspecta	circumspecții	circumspectele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	circumspect		circumspecte	circumspecți	circumspecte
	definite	circumspectului		circumspectei	circumspecților	circumspectelor