Standard Lemma guide

cautionary

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkɔːʃənəɹi/
  • UK: /ˈkɔːʃənɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈkɔʃəˌnɛɹi/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American, cot-caught-merger: /ˈkɑ.ʃəˌnɛɹ.i/
  • Texas: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈkoː.ʃə.nə.ɹi/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈkoː.ʃən.ɹi/
  • CMU ARPABET: K AO1 SH AH0 N EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Serving to caution or warn; admonitory

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Most parents were optimistic, but others sounded a cautionary note.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Serving to ward off; preventive

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Held as security or hostage

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

serving to warn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • shook a monitory finger at him
  • an exemplary jail sentence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: admonitory, exemplary, monitory, warning(a)

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

warding off- Victor Schultze

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the swastika...a very ancient prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prophylactic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin cautiōnārius.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: precautorio — serving to caution or warn — see also admonitory
  • Spanish: cautelar — serving to caution or warn — see also admonitory