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cir·cum·spect

(sûrkəm-spĕkt′)

adj.

Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.

[Middle English, from Latin circumspectus, past participle of circumspicere, to take heed : circum-, circum- + specere, to look; see spek- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

circum·spec′tion (-spĕkshən) n.

circum·spect′ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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