precaution

[pri-kaw-shuhn]

noun

1. a measure taken in advance to avert possible evil or to secure good results.

2. caution employed beforehand; prudent foresight.

   Synonyms: circumspection, prudence, forethought

verb (used with object)

1. to forewarn; put on guard.

precaution

/ prɪˈkɔːʃən /

noun

1. an action taken to avoid a dangerous or undesirable event

2. caution practised beforehand; circumspection

Other Word Forms

• unprecautioned adjective
• precautious adjective
• precautionary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of precaution¹

First recorded in 1595–1605, precaution is from the Late Latin word praecautiōn- (stem of praecautiō ). See pre-, caution

Word History and Origins

Origin of precaution¹

C17: from French, from Late Latin praecautiō, from Latin praecavēre to guard against, from prae before + cavēre to beware

Example Sentences

Federal officials stress that they have precautions in place to ensure safety during helicopter roundups.

From Los Angeles Times

He was back at practice Wednesday wearing a yellow no-contact jersey as a precaution.

From Los Angeles Times

Parts of Northern Ireland were under an amber wind warning earlier on Friday, and hundreds of schools closed early as a precaution.

From BBC

After the attack, police said a loud explosion could be heard as "specialist resources gained entry to the suspect's vehicle as a precaution".

From BBC

In May, Harrods was forced to restrict internet access across its sites as a precaution after an attempt was made to gain unauthorised access to its systems.

From BBC

Related Words

• care 
• caution 
• insurance 
• protection 
• provision 
• safeguard 
• safety measure www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

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.