precautionary principle

British  

noun

1. the precept that an action should not be taken if the consequences are uncertain and potentially dangerous

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Example Sentences

During back-to-back flights last year, the Starship spaceships blew up, sending debris falling back to Earth and forcing air traffic around the Caribbean to take precautionary measures.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Some 149 people from 23 countries remain on the ship under "strict precautionary measures", Oceanwide Expeditions has said.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

They are under "strict precautionary measures" on the ship, its operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement, including isolation, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

He said there was "no sense of emergency," but that the government in Dubai had introduced precautionary measures including asking children to learn from home.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Before the storm, the committee wrote, the terrorists would be most likely to use the occasion “to observe precautionary measures to gauge emergency response resources and continuity of operation plans at critical infrastructures.”

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers