"Mindful of" means being aware, conscious, or taking something into consideration. It implies a state of attentiveness and consideration towards a particular fact, situation, or potential consequence.
The meaning is semi-idiomatic. While "mindful" on its own means attentive, the addition of "of" specifies the object of that attention.
The register is generally neutral to formal, suitable for both written and spoken communication in professional, academic, and everyday contexts.
The grammatical pattern is: adjective + preposition + noun/pronoun/gerund.
"Mindful" functions as an adjective, followed by the preposition "of", which then takes a noun, pronoun, or gerund (verb ending in -ing acting as a noun) as its object. For example: "mindful of the consequences," "mindful of it," "mindful of being late."
The components cannot be separated. It's a fixed collocation, meaning you can't insert words between "mindful" and "of."
It sounds unnatural to use a different preposition (e.g., "mindful about") or to use "mindful" as a verb. Using a different adjective with "of" might work, but it would change the meaning.
These examples are sourced from mindful of on Ludwig.guru.
"Be mindful of names." — The New Yorker
"Be mindful of your tone." — The New York Times
"Good hosts should be mindful of this." — The New York Times
"He is also mindful of his weight." — The New Yorker
"Obviously we're mindful of that." — BBC
Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/mindful+of
Depending on the level of formality or the specific situation, you might want to vary your language.
| Phrase | Context |
|---|---|
| aware of | A direct synonym, often slightly less formal. |
| conscious of | Similar in meaning, emphasizing awareness. |
| cognizant of | More formal and implies a deeper understanding. |
| heedful of | Implies paying close attention and taking action based on that attention. |
| taking into account | Focuses on considering something when making a decision. |
| bearing in mind | Emphasizes remembering something important. |
| keeping in mind | Similar to "bearing in mind," suggesting active remembrance. |
| Expression | Meaning | Grammatical Pattern | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| mindful of | Aware, conscious, or taking something into consideration | adjective + preposition + noun/pronoun/gerund | Neutral to Formal |
No, the words in "mindful of" cannot be separated. It's a fixed collocation, meaning you can't insert words between "mindful" and "of" without changing the meaning or making the phrase grammatically incorrect. The adjective "mindful" directly modifies the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition "of."
"Mindful of" and "aware of" are very similar in meaning, both indicating consciousness or knowledge of something. However, "mindful of" often carries a slightly stronger connotation of attentiveness and consideration, suggesting a more deliberate focus on the thing being considered, while "aware of" is a more general term for simply knowing about something.
No, it is not correct to say "mindful about." The correct preposition to use with "mindful" in this context is "of." Using a different preposition, like "about," would be grammatically incorrect and would not convey the intended meaning of being aware or conscious of something.
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