Definitions

cautionary tale

[kaw-shuh-ner-ee teyl] / ˈkɔ ʃəˌnɛr i ˈteɪl /

NOUN

piece of advice

Synonyms

WEAK

a few words of wisdom admonition advisory caution light caveat deterrent example enough said event illustrating a hazard forewarning hint lesson message moral omen portent red flag sign of things to come wake-up call warning word to the wise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The film is, he said, is "another parable of parental crisis dressed up as a brightly coloured family adventure" - and a "cautionary tale about online childhoods".

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

At a time when Waymo’s impressive success and the advent of AI have rekindled excitement about everything driverless, Monarch’s failure to disrupt has become another cautionary tale about massive bets on the latest tech.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

"I hope I'll be a cautionary tale to someone who's in my position to make better choices."

From BBC • May 27, 2026

“It’s a classic cautionary tale about this sort of ballot-box legislation,” said Michael Manville, a professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

With this cautionary tale in mind, let us begin by asking a question which seems too obvious to need asking but is in fact an essential preliminary: What is a machine?

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton