preventive

American  

[pri-ven-tiv] / prɪˈvɛn tɪv /

Also preventative

adjective

1. Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.

2. serving to prevent or hinder.

   preventive measures.

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noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.

2. a preventive agent or measure.

preventive British  

/ prɪˈvɛntɪv /

adjective

1. tending or intended to prevent or hinder

2. med

   1. tending to prevent disease; prophylactic

   2. of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease

3. (in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard

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noun

1. something that serves to prevent or hinder

2. med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease

3. another name for contraceptive

Other Word Forms

• nonpreventive adjective
• nonpreventively adverb
• nonpreventiveness noun
• preventively adverb
• preventiveness noun
• unpreventative adjective
• unpreventive adjective
• unpreventively adverb
• unpreventiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of preventive

First recorded in 1630–40; prevent + -ive

Example Sentences

Khan, who was not involved in the study, is also Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and an associate professor of cardiology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

From Science Daily

This has prompted many of us in preventive cardiology to question how well cardiovascular disease prevention is working if mortality is so high.

From MarketWatch

“Management noted it doesn’t see a near term risk but has engaged respective industry bodies to put in place preventive measures.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“We need to pay attention much earlier,” said Blumenthal, director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Efforts to reduce costs without cutting the care offered include safety training, encouraging preventive care and on-site health screenings.

From The Wall Street Journal