English Reference
Adjective

cautionary

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˈkɔʃəˌnɛɹi/ UK /kˈɔːʃənəɹi/ cau·tion·ary

adj.describing a warning that tells you to be careful or to avoid a mistake. You use this to describe a story or a piece of advice that is meant to teach you a lesson.

adj.serving as a warning or a lesson to be careful. Often used to describe a narrative or statement intended to prevent future errors.


SIMPLE

The story has a cautionary ending.

CONTEXTUAL

The report provides a cautionary tale about the risks of ignoring early signs of financial instability.

COMPLEX

The author's cautionary tone suggests that while the initial success of the project was impressive, the long-term consequences were far more complex than the public realized.

Usage cautionary tale

As a cautionary tale, CloudSEK said that Trivy developers rotated but failed to fully revoke an automation token over a 20-day window.

Ars Technica· 12 Aug 2026

For government revenue, the 1980 experience is a cautionary tale: Projections built on current prices tend to overstate what a tax will collect.

The Conversation· 12 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated