care
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Attention and management implying responsibility for safety.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kehrIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkɛɹ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Attention and management implying responsibility for safety
“He is in the care of a bodyguard.”
Close attention; concern; responsibility.
uncountable
The treatment of those in need (especially as a profession).
countableuncountable
Worry.
uncountableuk
The state of being cared for by others.
The object of watchful attention or anxiety.
verb
transitiveintransitive
To be concerned (about), to have an interest (in); to feel concern (about).
intransitiveinformalby extension
To be affected by, to treat as relevant for a subsequent course of action.
intransitivewith for
To look after or look out for.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Attention and management implying responsibility for safety
Used this way, care is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in business or professional contexts.
“He is in the care of a bodyguard.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Business/professional
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “care of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: care of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use care
- “He is in the care of a bodyguard.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The particular occupation for which you are trained.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Exercising caution or showing care or attention.
Marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness.
Taking care or paying attention.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Show no concern or interest.
The provision of health care.
Have a liking, fondness, or taste (for).
Having needed care and attention.
Counseling on career opportunities.
A woman who is a careerist.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person).
Without care or concern.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.