precaution
Americannoun
-
precautions
plural
-
a measure taken in advance to avert possible evil or to secure good results.
-
caution employed beforehand; prudent foresight.
- Synonyms:
- circumspection, prudence, forethought
verb (used with object)
noun
-
an action taken to avoid a dangerous or undesirable event
-
caution practised beforehand; circumspection
Usage
What does precaution mean? A precaution is an action taken in advance to prevent something negative from happening or to lessen the impact of the negative thing if it does happen. This sense of precaution is often used with the verb take, as in take precautions or take every precaution. Precaution can also refer to caution in advance of something (which leads one to take such precautions). It can also be used as a verb meaning to warn. However, this is uncommon. The verb caution is more commonly used to mean this. Precaution has two adjective forms: precautious, meaning being careful by actively preparing to avoid something negative, and precautionary, which is used to describe things done as a precaution, as in precautionary measures. Example: Officials said they have taken every available precaution to secure the city in advance of the storm.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of precaution
First recorded in 1595–1605, precaution is from the Late Latin word praecautiōn- (stem of praecautiō ). See pre-, caution
Explanation
A precaution is a careful action you make in advance. You might want to take the precaution of bringing lots of water and sunblock if you're going on a desert hike. Precaution means exactly what it sounds like. The prefix pre- means before, and caution means carefulness in the face of danger. People use glasses when they're on a computer as a precaution because there are links to long hours on a computer and vision damage. A fire drill is a precaution so that you know what to do in case of a real fire. Someone who is always careful exhibits precaution.
Vocabulary lists containing precaution
Power Prefix: pre-
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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.
See Examples For:
The kingdom shut down the pipeline as a precaution following attacks targeting energy infrastructure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
There, he says, he chatted with strangers who told him they were taking the same precaution following a recent home invasion in Comanche.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Saudi Arabia said Friday that it had shut down its East-West pipeline as a precaution, noting that the pipeline suffered “multiple” attacks in the Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday morning.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said an anti-drone team would be deployed as a precaution, but stressed there was no intelligence of a specific threat to the gathering.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
I would advise you to take the greatest precaution with your wife who is still breast feeding.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
But Constanza Medel, a 29-year-old occupational therapist, sees AI "as a clear benefit as long as you take the proper precautions".
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Nepal's disaster management authority called on people living near river banks in vulnerable areas to remain alert and take precautions.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
But if you do continue feeding wild birds, here are three precautions to take:
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
“August and September are peak periods of West Nile virus transmission in the state, so we urge everyone to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
There were places you didn’t want to walk, precautions you took that had to do with locks on windows and doors, drawing the curtains, leaving on lights.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
