prevent
verb (used with object)
to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.
has prevented
-
present perfectof prevent (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
The legal process Congress created never begins, not because the claim has been heard and rejected, but because the government has prevented the statutory obligation to hear it from arising in the first place.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
That limitation has prevented scientists from using them in electronic devices such as LEDs.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
That has prevented around 15 million barrels of oil a day—three times Russia’s daily exports—from entering the global market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Russia now controls just under 20% of Ukrainian territory but the Ukrainian military has prevented it from capturing the entirety of the eastern Donbas region.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
“In addition, my valve has been misbehaving and has prevented me from bending over to reach the lower drawers.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
