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The quality of being diligent; carefulness; careful attention; -- the opposite of negligence.

Prosecuted with careful attention and effort; careful; painstaking; not careless or negligent. The judges shall make diligent inquisition. Deut. xix. 18.

rence or distinction; to distinguish accurately; as, in judging of evidence, we should be careful to discriminate between probability and slight presumption.

ections of; to excite a slight aversion in; to indispose; to make unwilling; to alienate. Careful . . . to disincline them from any reverence or affection to the Queen. Clarendon. To social scenes by nature disinclined. Cowper.

A textile fabric used for decorative purposes, especially when hung loosely and in folds carefully disturbed; as: (a) Garments or vestments of this character worn upon the body, or shown in the representations of the human figure in art. (b) Hangings of a room or hall, or about a bed. Like one that wraps the drapery of…

Managing with frugality; guarding against waste or unnecessary expense; careful and frugal in management and in expenditure; -- said of character or habits. Just rich enough, with economic care, To save a pittance. Harte.

With economy; with careful management; with prudence in expenditure.

overnment of household matters; especially as they concern expense or disbursement; as, a careful economy. Himself busy in charge of the household economies. Froude.

developed or executed with care and in minute detail; as, the carefully elaborated theme. Syn. -- detailed, elaborate. [WordNet 1.5]

Excessively careful; cautious. [Obs.] No men are so envious of their health. Jer. Taylor. -- En"vi*ous*ly, adv. -- En"vi*ous*ness, n.

ror and the frequency with which that error will be committed in making a large number of careful measurements of a quantity. -- Probable error. (Mensuration) See under Probable. -- Writ of error (Law), an original writ, which lies after judgment in an action at law, in a court of record, to correct some alleged erro…

Habitually careful to agree with a standard, a rule, or a promise; accurate; methodical; punctual; as, a man exact in observing an appointment; in my doings I was exact. "I see thou art exact of taste." Milton.

Careful observance of method and conformity to truth; as, exactness in accounts or business. He had . . . that sort of exactness which would have made him a respectable antiquary. Macaulay.

The act of examining, or state of being examined; a careful search, investigation, or inquiry; scrutiny by study or experiment.

To test by any appropriate method; to inspect carefully with a view to discover the real character or state of; to subject to inquiry or inspection of particulars for the purpose of obtaining a fuller insight into the subject of examination, as a material substance, a fact, a reason, a cause, the truth of a statement;…

To seek for or after; to strive to attain by search; to look wisely and carefully for. [Obs.] Explores the lost, the wandering sheep directs. Pope.

Carefully selected or sought out; hence, of distinguishing and surpassing quality; exceedingly nice; delightfully excellent; giving rare satisfaction; as, exquisite workmanship. Plate of rare device, and jewels Of reach and exquisite form. Shak. I have no exquisite reason for 't, but I have reason good enough. Shak.…

avoiding a decisive contest. Fabian policy, a policy like that of Fabius Maximus, who, by carefully avoiding decisive contests, foiled Hannibal, harassing his army by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades; a policy of delays and cautions.

Like a father in affection and care; paternal; tender; protecting; careful. You have showed a tender, fatherly regard. Shak.

Faithfulness; adherence to right; careful and exact observance of duty, or discharge of obligations. Especially: