Careen vs. Career: What's the Difference?

Careen and career are often confused due to their similar pronunciation and spelling, yet they have distinct meanings. Careen generally refers to moving swiftly and in an uncontrollable way, often tilting or swaying, such as a vehicle might do. Career, on the other hand, is typically used to denote an individual's professional journey or occupation over time.

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Careen vs. Career

How do you use the word careen in a sentence?

To use careen in a sentence, convey the sense of rapid and potentially unsteady movement, often with an element of swiftness and loss of control. It can describe physical objects, like vehicles or boats, or metaphorically apply to people or events rushing headlong in a particular direction.
Examples of careen in a sentence
  • The car careened around the corner, barely avoiding the guardrail.
  • During the storm, the ship careened wildly, alarming the passengers on board.
  • He careened through his tasks, completing them with a speed that left his colleagues in awe.

How do you use the word career in a sentence?

The word career is used to describe a person's professional or occupational path. It can refer to the entirety of one's working life or a particular profession or sector that an individual works in. Use it when discussing jobs, professions, or long-term professional plans.
Examples of career in a sentence
  • She's made significant strides in her career as a lawyer.
  • After decades in the industry, he retired from his illustrious career in film.
  • He decided to switch careers and follow his passion for teaching.

Careen and career definition, parts of speech, and pronunciation

Careen definition:
Careen is a verb that means to move swiftly and in an uncontrolled manner in a specified direction, often tilting or swaying dangerously.

Careen parts of speech:
  • Verb: The motorcycle careened through the open road with breathtaking speed.
  • Intransitive verb: Leaves careened down the street in the gusty autumn wind.

Careen pronunciation:
Careen is pronounced as /kəˈriːn/.

Career definition:
Career is a noun that refers to an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.

Career parts of speech:
  • Noun: His career in medicine spanned over three decades.
  • Noun: She is making a significant career move by starting her own business.

Career pronunciation:
Career is pronounced as /kəˈrɪər/.

Careen vs. Career in a nutshell

To summarize, careen is a verb that denotes uncontrolled, swift movement, often used to describe vehicles or objects in motion, while career is a noun reflecting an individual's professional life or occupation. The distinction between careen and career is clear once you consider their different functional uses: careen is about movement and instability, whereas career relates to work and professional development.

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