cautus

Cautus is a Latin adjective and the perfect passive participle of cavēre, meaning cautious, wary, careful, or guarded. In classical usage it describes a person or thing marked by prudence or circumspection, and it can function descriptively in sentences such as “vir cautus” (a cautious man). The form declines as cautus (masculine), cauta (feminine), and cautum (neuter), with the adverbial form cautē meaning “carefully.”

Etymology and related forms: Cautus derives from cavēre, “to beware.” As a participle used with nouns, it contributes to adjectives and predicates in Latin grammar. The noun cautio, from the same root, denotes caution or precaution, a concept central to prudent conduct.

English derivatives: The Latin root cautus underpins English words such as caution and cautious. Through Old French and other intermediaries, these terms entered Middle English and now appear in modern usage to express prudence, care, and vigilance. The semantic core is the same: avoiding risk through careful attention.

Usage notes: In Latin texts, cautus is flexible in position and agrees with the noun it describes in gender, number, and case. It can convey nuance from simple carefulness to a more guarded or wary state, depending on context. The related adverb cautē sharpens the meaning to “with care.”

See also: caution, cautious, circumspection, prudence.