Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CIRCUMSPECT
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connect this word to others:
When you hear a word end in "spect," you pretty much know it's going to be either a verb (like expect, inspect, respect, or suspect) or a noun (like aspect, prospect, or retrospect).
But then "circumspect" throws you for a loop. It's an adjective: "Let's be circumspect about this." "She's always so circumspect." For that reason, "circumspect" seemed kooky to me when I first learned it. It's an oddball for sure.
"Circumspect," along with all the other bold words above, has something to do with literally or figuratively looking at things. See if you can match each literal definition below to a bold word above:
A looking at
A looking forward
A looking backward
To look into
To look thoroughly (at) (as if it's approaching you)
To look up (at) (in a distrustful way, not an awed way)
To look back (at) (but find out what it means to Aretha)
Now that the word "look" means nothing and looks (ah!) totally weird from all this overexposure--sorry--let's come back around to "circumspect," which literally means "looking around."
Much like how "circumstance" literally means "(what's) standing around," and like how "circum____be" literally means "writing around," and like how "circum______ry" literally means "talking around."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"CIRCUMSPECT"
In this word, the "circum" part means "around," and the "spect" part means "looking."
To be circumspect is to be looking all around you: to be careful and watchful, as if you're looking all around, making sure you think about everything carefully before you act.
Pronunciation:
SIR come SPEKT
Part of speech:
Adjective: "he seems circumspect," "they're always circumspect about it."
Other common forms:
circumspectly, circumspection
How to use it:
Call someone circumspect to emphasize how carefully he seems to consider, and even analyze, all possible risks and benefits before making a decision: "she's so circumspect," "our circumspect manager," "they're circumspect about this issue," "he ought to be more circumspect in what he tweets," "we need teenagers to be more circumspect online."
Although it's almost always a person who's circumspect, it can also be an attitude, a conversation, a way of approaching problems, etc.
examples:
"We must be circumspect, for we are dealing with a very cunning man. We can do nothing until seven o'clock. At that hour we shall be with you, and it will not be long before we solve the mystery."
— Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1892
"Covering a breaking story on broadcast media is a difficult task, and in the early stages of these stories, reporters are trained, quite rightly, to be circumspect."
— Justin Peters, Slate, 26 October 2018
has this page helped you understand "circumspect"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "circumspect" without saying "cautious" or "vigilant."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "After (witnessing or experiencing a bad consequence of some sort), I've learned to be circumspect about _____."
Example: "After scrubbing Cheeto dust out of a rug, I've learned to be circumspect about which snacks to allow outside the kitchen."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Local
C____
Palette
A tougher puzzle:
That's
A__
I_
Perpetuity
Answers:
Local
Color
Palette
That's
All
In
Perpetuity
Give these a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Rife
W___
Gusto
A tougher puzzle:
Tenacious
G___
T___
Measure
review this word:
1. The opposite of CIRCUMSPECT is
A. DIRECT.
B. BLISSFUL.
C. RECKLESS.
2. She was circumspect, advising _____.
A. us to lighten up
B. more time for consideration
C. several unnecessary changes
a final word:
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I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
When you hear a word end in "spect," you pretty much know it's going to be either a verb (like expect, inspect, respect, or suspect) or a noun (like aspect, prospect, or retrospect).
"CIRCUMSPECT" In this word, the "circum" part means "around," and the "spect" part means "looking."
"We must be circumspect, for we are dealing with a very cunning man. We can do nothing until seven o'clock. At that hour we shall be with you, and it will not be long before we solve the mystery."
Explain the meaning of "circumspect" without saying "cautious" or "vigilant."
Fill in the blanks: "After (witnessing or experiencing a bad consequence of some sort), I've learned to be circumspect about _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of CIRCUMSPECT is
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