prevention

American  

[pri-ven-shuhn] / prɪˈvɛn ʃən /

noun

• preventions
  plural

1. the act of preventing; effectual hindrance.

2. a preventive.

   This serum is a prevention against disease.

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prevention British  

/ prɪˈvɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of preventing

2. a hindrance, obstacle, or impediment

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprevention
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preventions
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prevention preventions

And talk to your veterinarian about a parasite prevention plan to combat fleas and other pests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Last month, Scotland's chief fire officer called for an improved, more formal approach to wildfire prevention in order to "protect lives".

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

He said the legislation would have helped victims receive compensation faster, strengthened fire prevention, prevented private-equity firms from buying up claims and held utility executives personally accountable when their equipment causes catastrophic blazes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Hernandez said this finding highlights the potential value of incorporating positive psychology strategies into long-term cardiovascular treatment and prevention.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

I’d directed Tina, my chief of staff and an attorney who herself had spent many years in the city, to throw her energy into rallying support for violence prevention there.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

U.S. taxpayers invested billions of dollars in the effort and were able, until recently, to access treatments and preventions for the virus without paying out-of-pocket for them.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023

"Epidemic preventions have been lifted...COVID-19 testing sites are mostly being dismantled... So, because right now in Chaoyang district cases are quite high, it is better to stock up on some medicines," he said.

From Reuters ● Dec. 7, 2022

DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg said at the time that the reason for it was a search syndication agreement with Microsoft, and that more updates on third-party tracker preventions were coming.

From The Verge ● Aug. 5, 2022

As a budding health reporter, I tried to learn everything I could about Alzheimer's and wrote about new research on preventions and treatments that everyone wanted to believe had potential.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2022

It would be the worthiest occupation of mind to ascertain the conditions propitious for this meeting of the nations in their new home, and to provide preventions for obvious dangers that attend it.

From Life Without and Life Within or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and poems. by Margaret Fuller

Related Words

• avoidance