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Preposition after adjective

Careless about, with, in, of or on?

Careless commonly combines with about, with, and in. Other prepositions may appear in special contexts rather than as fixed adjective patterns.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used after careless?

Use careless about for attitudes or responsibilities, careless with for handling things, and careless in for actions or methods. Careless of is uncommon in modern English, and careless on usually refers to location.

He was careless about deadlines.
She is careless with passwords.
The report was careless in its use of data.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
careless about + topic

Showing lack of attention to something

Use about for responsibilities, habits, or issues.

They were careless about safety rules.
He is careless about spelling.
2
careless with + object

Handling something irresponsibly

Use with for tools, money, information, or possessions.

She is careless with company records.
He was careless with his phone.
3
careless in + activity

Making mistakes during an action

Use in before actions, writing, or procedures.

The student was careless in answering the questions.
They were careless in preparing the contract.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
careless about
He is careless about his work.
not paying enough attention to a responsibility or topic
careless with
She is careless with money.
using or handling something irresponsibly
careless in
The clerk was careless in recording the figures.
showing lack of care during an activity
careless of
The phrase careless of danger appears in literary English.
formal or old-fashioned expression meaning unconcerned about
careless on
He slipped because he was careless on the stairs.
on introduces place, not a standard adjective pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using with for responsibilities

Use about for attitudes toward duties or issues.

✕ He is careless with deadlines. ✓ He is careless about deadlines.

Using about for physical handling

Use with for objects or possessions.

✕ She is careless about her keys. ✓ She is careless with her keys.

Overusing careless of in modern English

Careless of sounds literary or dated in most contexts.

✕ They were careless of the instructions. ✓ They were careless about the instructions.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is careless ___ confidential information.
2. The worker was careless ___ following the procedure.
3. He is careless ___ his responsibilities.

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Frequently asked questions

Is careless of correct English?

Yes, but it sounds literary or old-fashioned in modern English.

What is the difference between careless about and careless with?

Careless about refers to attitudes or responsibilities, while careless with refers to handling things improperly.

Can careless be followed by in?

Yes. Careless in describes mistakes made during an activity or process.

calm, in, calm, for, calm, about "candid about" or "candid in"? capable of or in? careful about, with, of, in or on? caribbean in, for, with, to or on? "catastrophic for" or "catastrophic to"? "cautious about" or "cautious in"? celtic in, for, on, at or to? central to, in, for, at or of? "certain of" or "certain about"? "challenging for" or "challenging of"? characteristic of, for, in or to?

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