different between precaution vs circumspection

English

Etymology

From French précaution, Latin praecautio, from praecavere, praecautum (“to guard against beforehand”); prae (“before”) + cavere (“be on one's guard”). See pre-, and caution.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?i??k????n/
• Hyphenation: pre?cau?tion

Noun

precaution (countable and uncountable, plural precautions)

1. Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good
   • July 2, 1826, John Henry Newman, The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospel

     The ancient philosophers treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable precaution.

2. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act.

   to take precautions against risks of accident

Derived terms

• precautionary

Translations

See also

• prevention

Verb

precaution (third-person singular simple present precautions, present participle precautioning, simple past and past participle precautioned)

1. (transitive) To warn or caution beforehand.
2. (transitive, rare) To take precaution against.

Translations

Anagrams

• preauction, unoperatic

English

Etymology

From Old French circumspection, from Latin circumspectio; surface analysis circum- +? spect +? -ion, "looking [all] around" (as compared with the opposite concept, embodied as tunnel vision or blinders)

Noun

circumspection (countable and uncountable, plural circumspections)

1. Attention to all the facts and circumstances of a case; consideration of all that is pertinent.
2. Caution, watchfulness, or vigilance fueled by such awareness.

Translations

References

• circumspection in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• circumspection in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.