precautionary

Sometimes pre·cau·tion·al

[pri-kaw-shuh-ner-ee]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by precaution.

   precautionary measures.

2. expressing or advising precaution.

   precautionary warnings against possible tornadoes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of precautionary¹

First recorded in 1740–50; precaution + -ary

Example Sentences

Airbus stock fell in response to news that it announced a “precautionary fleet action” for A320-family jets that could be affected by solar flares.

Read more on Barron's

Airbus had instructed its clients Friday to take "immediate precautionary action" after a technical malfunction on board a JetBlue flight in October exposed that intense solar radiation could corrupt data critical to the flight controls.

Read more on Barron's

The company added that it had worked with aviation authorities to request precautionary action to incorporate software and hardware protection to ensure the planes are safe to fly.

Read more on MarketWatch

The company requested an immediate precautionary action from air carriers to implement software and hardware protection.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The manufacturer has issued an alert to airlines, requesting them to take "immediate precautionary action…in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection and ensure the fleet is safe to fly".

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What does precautionary mean?

Precautionary is used to describe actions taken in advance to prevent something negative from happening or to lessen the impact of the negative thing if it does happen.Such actions are called precautions. This sense of precautionary is most commonly seen in the phrase precautionary measures, which is essentially a synonym for precautions.Precaution can also be used as a verb meaning to warn, and precautionary can also mean expressing a warning, as in Police have posted a precautionary message advising all residents to stay indoors due to the chemical spill. Example: Officials said they have taken several precautionary measures to secure the city in advance of the storm.