precaution
Americannoun
-
precautions
plural
-
a measure taken in advance to avert possible evil or to secure good results.
-
caution employed beforehand; prudent foresight.
- Synonyms:
- circumspection, prudence, forethought
verb (used with object)
noun
-
an action taken to avoid a dangerous or undesirable event
-
caution practised beforehand; circumspection
Usage
What does precaution mean? A precaution is an action taken in advance to prevent something negative from happening or to lessen the impact of the negative thing if it does happen. This sense of precaution is often used with the verb take, as in take precautions or take every precaution. Precaution can also refer to caution in advance of something (which leads one to take such precautions). It can also be used as a verb meaning to warn. However, this is uncommon. The verb caution is more commonly used to mean this. Precaution has two adjective forms: precautious, meaning being careful by actively preparing to avoid something negative, and precautionary, which is used to describe things done as a precaution, as in precautionary measures. Example: Officials said they have taken every available precaution to secure the city in advance of the storm.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of precaution
First recorded in 1595–1605, precaution is from the Late Latin word praecautiōn- (stem of praecautiō ). See pre-, caution
Explanation
A precaution is a careful action you make in advance. You might want to take the precaution of bringing lots of water and sunblock if you're going on a desert hike. Precaution means exactly what it sounds like. The prefix pre- means before, and caution means carefulness in the face of danger. People use glasses when they're on a computer as a precaution because there are links to long hours on a computer and vision damage. A fire drill is a precaution so that you know what to do in case of a real fire. Someone who is always careful exhibits precaution.
Vocabulary lists containing precaution
Power Prefix: pre-
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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.
See Examples For:
Their proposed detection method is intended as a precaution, not a response to an existing biological threat.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
It comes after the UK government revealed it was among organisations around the world to have taken some sites offline as a precaution after critical flaws were surfaced in a popular programming language.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
But the potential threat is so serious that websites around the world have been taken down as a precaution.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
In the Netherlands, the national digital identity service DigiD, the website of the House of Representatives and the site of the national cybersecurity center went offline as a precaution, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Later, much would be made of this precaution.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Officials urged residents of flood-prone areas “to take precautions now,” including moving cars to higher ground and protecting property with sandbags.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Along the Champs-Élysées and Avenue Montaigne, businesses ranging from Louis Vuitton and Nike to the famed Fouquet’s brasserie and smaller independent shops took precautions against fresh violence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Bosses at The Watering Hole bar on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall said they were taking extra precautions after the venue suffered damage during Storm Goretti in January.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Even when people can recognize where hurricane watches are in effect, they may not feel more at risk or become more inclined to take precautions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Despite these precautions, from the very first day, the headmistress had no trouble discerning the eccentricities of her new pupil.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
