prevention
Americannoun
-
the act of preventing; effectual hindrance.
-
a preventive.
This serum is a prevention against disease.
noun
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the act of preventing
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a hindrance, obstacle, or impediment
Other Word Forms
- nonprevention noun
Etymology
Origin of prevention
1520–30; < Late Latin praeventiōn- (stem of praeventiō ) a forestalling. See prevent, -ion
Explanation
When an action stops something from happening, like assigning extra teachers to watch a playground during recess to prevent bullying, it's called prevention. The noun prevention comes up most often when people are trying to keep something bad in check, like crime, disease, or forest fires. Educating kids about nutrition is one form of obesity prevention, for example, and lowering speed limits can help with accident prevention. The word prevent is at the root of prevention, and it comes from the Latin praeventus, "anticipate or hinder."
Vocabulary lists containing prevention
Word Generation Weekly - Series 2
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Chemical Engineering
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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.
Until now, the agency had awarded money only for homeless prevention efforts such as direct rental subsidies to tenants.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Her first major contribution to the field of anxiety and fear-based disorders was in the 1970s and ’80s, with a therapy called exposure and response prevention that she used to treat patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
"These results demonstrate the benefit of intensive lowering cholesterol earlier and should change how we think about the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease in patients without known significant atherosclerosis."
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
Spacey and Clinton were travelling on a humanitarian trip to promote Aids prevention.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Cleopatra, who became a vocal advocate for violence prevention, also returned a couple of times to attend different meetings on the issue.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
