incaution
Very low (rare/archaic)Formal, literary, archaic
Definition
Meaning
Lack of caution; carelessness.
The state or quality of being inattentive to potential danger, risk, or error; heedlessness.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A negative abstract noun denoting the absence of caution. It is largely archaic and has been supplanted by its far more common synonym 'carelessness' or the phrase 'lack of caution'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare and archaic in both varieties. No significant dialectal difference.
Connotations
Sounds formal, dated, and somewhat literary.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora. Used more in 18th-19th century texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[incaution] in + VERB-ing (incaution in handling)[incaution] of + NOUN (incaution of youth)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used. 'Negligence' or 'failure of due diligence' are standard.
Academic
May appear in historical or literary analysis discussing older texts.
Everyday
Not used. 'Carelessness' or 'not being careful' are used instead.
Technical
Not used in any major technical fields (e.g., law, medicine, engineering).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- His incaution led to a small accident.
- The story warns against the incaution of young travellers.
- The historian blamed the diplomatic disaster on the incaution of the ambassadors.
- Financial incaution in one's youth can lead to debt later in life.
- The author's incaution in citing unverified sources undermined his thesis.
- Critics attributed the ecological crisis to a collective incaution regarding industrial waste.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: IN (not) + CAUTION = the state of NOT having caution.
Conceptual Metaphor
CAUTION IS A PROTECTIVE BARRIER; INCAUTION IS THE ABSENCE OF THAT BARRIER, LEAVING ONE EXPOSED TO HARM.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'неосторожность' (nesostorozhnost') in active use. 'Incaution' is an archaic English equivalent. Use 'carelessness' or 'negligence' for modern translation.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in modern speech/writing. Attempting to use it as an adjective (the adjective is 'incautious'). Misspelling as 'incautiousness' (which is also rare but more adjective-derived).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'incaution' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and considered archaic. The adjective 'incautious' is slightly more common but still formal.
Meaning is nearly identical, but 'incaution' is archaic and formal, while 'carelessness' is the standard modern term.
No. Legal terminology uses 'negligence'. Medical contexts use 'negligence' or 'lack of due care'. 'Incaution' is not a technical term.
It is a noun. The related adjective is 'incautious', and the adverb is 'incautiously'.