avert
Americanverb (used with object)
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to turn away or aside.
to avert one's eyes.
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to ward off; prevent.
to avert evil;
to avert an accident.
verb
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to turn away or aside
to avert one's gaze
-
to ward off; prevent from occurring
to avert danger
Other Word Forms
- avertable adjective
- averter noun
- avertible adjective
Etymology
Origin of avert
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French avertir, ultimately derived from Latin āvertere, equivalent to ā- a- 4 + vertere “to turn”
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.
Emergency orders may help avert blackouts temporarily, but they aren’t a long-term strategy.
Regional powers have worked to set up the talks over Tehran’s nuclear program in hopes of opening a diplomatic pathway to avert a possible war.
But for now, there’s a plan that averts shutdown impacts at the IRS.
From MarketWatch
South Korea football bosses said on Monday they were in talks with players to avert a boycott of next month's Women's Asian Cup and expected the national team to train for the tournament as scheduled.
From Barron's
Attempting to avert financial failure, the private water company’s board now plans to start charging people a new “fire recovery fee” of about $3,000 over the next five years, or about $50 a month.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions 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.
