careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences
example
She was circumspect in her decision to invest in the stock market, thinking about the risks involved.
synonyms
cautiouscarefulwary
word origin — The word 'circumspect' comes from the Latin 'circumspectus', meaning 'looking around'. It is derived from 'circum-' meaning 'around' and 'specere' meaning 'to look'.
Proficient — Set 78
Set 78 of Proficient covers 5 words: circumspect, soporific, normative, diurnal, recumbent. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
circumspect · adjective/ˈsɜr.kəm.spekt/
careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences
She was circumspect in her decision to invest in the stock market, thinking about the risks involved.
Synonyms: cautious, careful, wary
Origin: The word 'circumspect' comes from the Latin 'circumspectus', meaning 'looking around'. It is derived from 'circum-' meaning 'around' and 'specere' meaning 'to look'.
soporific · adjective/ˌsɑːpəˈrɪfɪk/
tending to induce drowsiness or sleep
The warm milk had a soporific effect, making it easy for him to fall asleep.
Synonyms: sleepy, drowsy, calming
Origin: from Latin 'sopor' meaning 'deep sleep'
normative · adjective/ˈnɔːrmətɪv/
relating to an evaluative standard or norm
In our class, we discussed the normative rules for fair behavior during games.
Synonyms: standard, typical, expected
Origin: from Latin 'normativus', meaning 'pertaining to a norm'
diurnal · adjective/daɪˈɜrnəl/
active during the day or occurring every day
Many birds are diurnal animals, singing and flying during the day.
Synonyms: daily, daytime, everyday
Origin: from Latin 'diurnalis' meaning 'of a day'
recumbent · adjective/rɪˈkʌm.bənt/
lying down or resting
The cat lay recumbent on the warm windowsill, enjoying the sunshine.
Synonyms: reclining, resting, lying
Origin: from Latin 'recumbens', the present participle of 'recumbere' meaning 'to lie down'