Danger, Warning, Caution: A Deliberate Hierarchy
A warning tells you about a danger. Safety standards define a ladder of signal words, and each rung means something specific.
A warning is a statement of danger or of consequences. Safety labelling turns it into a graded system: *danger* marks a hazard that will cause death or serious injury, *warning* one that could, and *caution* one that could cause minor injury. The words are not interchangeable, and the colours differ too.
- A statement of danger. *A health warning.*
- Advance notice. *Without warning.*
- A caution from authority. *A formal warning.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | warning | A final warning. |
| Plural | warnings | Weather warnings. |
| Verb | warn | Warn the crew. |
| Past | warned | Repeatedly warned. |
| Related | caution | A word of caution. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The storm arrived without warning.No advance notice.
- He was given a written warning.Employment procedure.
- Weather warnings are colour-coded.Yellow, amber and red in Britain.
Signal words in safety labelling
- Danger — will result in death or serious injury
- Warning — could result in death or serious injury
- Caution — could result in minor injury
- Notice — important but not about personal injury
- Colour coding — red, orange and yellow respectively
From *warn*, Old English *warnian*, to take heed or give notice, related to *wary* and *aware* — all from a root meaning to watch out.
Danger or warning on a sign?
Danger marks the most severe hazards, warning the next level down. The distinction is set out in safety standards and is not stylistic.
What do British weather warnings mean?
Yellow means be aware, amber means be prepared for disruption, red means take action and expect danger to life.