precautionary
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characterized by precaution.
precautionary measures.
-
expressing or advising precaution.
precautionary warnings against possible tornadoes.
Usage
What does precautionary mean? Precautionary is used to describe actions taken in advance to prevent something negative from happening or to lessen the impact of the negative thing if it does happen.Such actions are called precautions. This sense of precautionary is most commonly seen in the phrase precautionary measures, which is essentially a synonym for precautions.Precaution can also be used as a verb meaning to warn, and precautionary can also mean expressing a warning, as in Police have posted a precautionary message advising all residents to stay indoors due to the chemical spill. Example: Officials said they have taken several precautionary measures to secure the city in advance of the storm.
Etymology
Origin of precautionary
First recorded in 1740–50; precaution + -ary
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.
"This is done only as a precautionary measure, but it is appropriate that we are at a crescent sense of alertness just at the moment for the time being," he said.
From BBC
The 77-year-old monarch isn’t cancer-free or in remission, but the treatment “will now move into a precautionary phase,” said a spokesman for the king.
According to Buckingham Palace, the King's recovery has reached a very positive stage and he has "responded exceptionally well to treatment", so much so that doctors will now move his treatment "into a precautionary phase".
From BBC
The force said the school would reopen as normal on Thursday, but a "precautionary police presence" would be on site "to provide reassurance and support to pupils and staff".
From BBC
He added the treatment works were "performing much better" over the last 24 hours, and the boiled water notice was implemented as a "precautionary step" while disinfection of water takes place.
From BBC
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.
