cautionarycau‧tion‧ar‧y /ˈkɔːʃənəri $ ˈkɒːʃəneri/ adjective [usually before noun] 
Most observers were optimistic, yet some sounded a cautionary note.cautionary tale (=the story of an event that is used to warn people) a cautionary tale about how not to buy a computer
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The director ended her speech on a cautionary note, when she said that next year would be even harder than this year.
- The group's latest album gives a cautionary account of chemical dependency.
- The rise and fall of this company is a cautionary tale for anyone investing in the property market.
- A cautionary word should perhaps be entered here.
- Even so, a cautionary note must be sounded.
- If anything, I felt the alcohol guideline was more cautionary than before.
- In view of the preceding passages, it may be of value here to add one cautionary note.
- Raw and powerful, black smokers look like cautionary totems of an inhospitable planet.
- There is one other cautionary lesson that can be drawn from the Huffington campaign and applied to the Forbes phenomenon.
- With this cautionary illustration behind us we can now proceed to a more complex and interesting example.
Longman Language Activatormaking you realize that something bad could happen
: warn somebody (that) · Something warned Lucy that she must stop him.· The bleached bones of cattle warn the traveler how hot it can be in Death Valley.warn of · Dark clouds warned of the approaching storm.
if an event or fact is a warning , it shows that something bad could happen or is going to happen: · The story of the Titanic is a warning to anyone who trusts too much in their technology.· The only warning was a low rumbling sound.be a warning of: · Pain in the shoulder and arm can be a warning of a heart attack.
if something sets (the) alarm bells ringing it makes you realize that something seriously wrong or very dangerous is happening: · There were no lights on when I got home. That immediately set alarm bells ringing.· A brief study of the company's accounts set the alarm bells ringing -- there was no trace of the $56 million loan.
making you think that something bad has happened or is likely to happen soon: · Another wave crashed onto the deck and the mast made an ominous creaking sound.· Katy answered the phone. There was an ominous silence.something sounds ominous: · My manager asked for an appointment at nine o'clock on a Monday morning: it sounded ominous.
intended to or likely to warn you that something bad will happen if you continue to do something or do not do something: · Aunt Lou shot a warning glance at father just as he was about to speak.· He grabbed her pistol and fired a warning shot. The intruder ran back out into the hall. · From the trees there came a warning screech and the whole flock took to the air.
: cautionary tale/note something that provides a warning of something bad that could happen or a warning against particular actions or behaviour: · The rise and fall of this company is a cautionary tale for anyone investing in the property market.· The director ended her speech on a cautionary note, when she said that next year would be even harder than this year.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Most observers were optimistic, yet some sounded a cautionary note.
giving a warning about what not to docautionary note/comment/words etc Most observers were optimistic, yet some sounded a cautionary note. (=the story of an event that is used to warn people) a cautionary tale about how not to buy a computer
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a cautionary tale about how not to buy a computer (=one that is told to warn someone about the dangers of something)· This cautionary tale illustrates the dangers of looking for quick profits.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· In view of the preceding passages, it may be of value here to add one cautionary note.· Even so, a cautionary note must be sounded.· I suggest this cautionary note as a result of personal experience.· While many of the subsequent developments are to be welcomed, certain cautionary notes should be sounded.· A cautionary note, applicable to most variegated plants is the problem of reversion.· This kind of experiment, besides sounding a cautionary note, needs repeating, says Smith.
· Thank you for your cautionary tale Richard.· That is why she offers a cautionary tale about the parent traps facing all women.· I suspect it was a cautionary tale.· Tootle seems to be essentially a cautionary tale, warning the child to stay on the narrow road of virtue.· Other revelations serve as cautionary tales about the importance of subordinating military officials to civilian authority.· As a cautionary tale this book works very well.· It is a cautionary tale told with sad humour on the border between innocence and togetherness.· But Louima's case was the cautionary tale.
· A cautionary word should perhaps be entered here.· But a cautionary word about divorce statistics is in order.
Most observers were optimistic, yet some sounded a cautionary note.cautionary tale (=the story of an event that is used to warn people) a cautionary tale about how not to buy a computer