Synonyms

prevent

American

[pri-vent] / prɪˈvɛnt /

verb (used with object)

to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.

He intervened to prevent bloodshed.

Synonyms:

thwart, obviate, preclude, forestall, obstruct

Antonyms:

assist, help
to hinder or stop from doing something.

There is nothing to prevent us from going.
Archaic. to act ahead of; forestall.
Archaic. to precede.
Archaic. to anticipate.

verb (used without object)

to interpose a hindrance.

He will come if nothing prevents.

prevent British

/ prɪˈvɛnt /

verb

(tr) to keep from happening, esp by taking precautionary action
to keep (someone from doing something); hinder; impede
(intr) to interpose or act as a hindrance
archaic (tr) to anticipate or precede

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Prevent, hamper, hinder, impede refer to different degrees of stoppage of action or progress. To prevent is to stop something effectually by forestalling action and rendering it impossible: to prevent the sending of a message. To hamper is to clog or entangle or put an embarrassing restraint upon: to hamper preparations for a trip. To hinder is to keep back by delaying or stopping progress or action: to hinder the progress of an expedition. To impede is to make difficult the movement or progress of anything by interfering with its proper functioning: to impede a discussion by demanding repeated explanations.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of prevent

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin praeventus “anticipated,” past participle of praevenīre “to anticipate,” equivalent to prae- pre- ( def. ) + venīre “to come”

Explanation

The verb prevent means "to keep something from happening," like when you use a complicated password to prevent hackers from accessing your account. Prevent comes from the Latin word praeventus, meaning "to act in anticipation of," like when you shovel the icy, snow-covered sidewalk to prevent people from falling. Prevent can also mean "to make impossible," like when a school locks the doors during a dance to prevent kids from leaving without their parents knowing.

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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:

prevent prevents prevented preventing

The deal appears to set up a new screening mechanism to prevent U.S. adversary investment on the island, which under the ice is rich in critical minerals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

They can also consider an order for 16 and 17 year olds if they believe this would help prevent further offences.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Their findings solved a puzzle dating back to 1972 and could help prevent dangerous transfusion reactions in a small number of patients.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

Warsh said the Fed raised rates to try to prevent the effects of tariff- and energy-induced inflation from spreading too deeply to other goods and services.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

“Your actions and decisions on this mission could start or prevent a world war.”

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

If these companies genuinely believe slower development serves the public interest, nothing prevents them from slowing down unilaterally.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

That, the whistleblower account warned, could lead to a “catastrophic failure” that prevents millions of Americans from voting.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

When this dry, dusty layer of air is directed across the Atlantic, it prevents storms from growing.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The moisture in the air prevents the body from efficiently sweating which is needed to regulate the body’s temperature, Benmarhnia said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The explanation is that occasional individual almond trees have a mutation in a single gene that prevents them from synthesizing the bitter-tasting amygdalin.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Pantoja said Van is a top-tier fighter, but he believes the injury prevented both of them from showing everything they were capable of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Any consumer wariness about Meta hasn’t prevented its runaway success.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Researchers still need to determine what causes the protein to decline with age, how much of the resulting physical and cognitive deterioration can be prevented, and how long any benefits might last.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

"Those who are doing their job and trying to do their job should be properly remunerated for it but unfortunately some are prevented from doing that by the dysfunction".

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Washington was the core of gravity that prevented the American Revolution from flying off into random orbits, the stable center around which the revolutionary energies formed.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

So far, 70 sweeps have yielded 694 skimmers, the agency said, preventing an estimated $720 million in fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

More automakers are preventing their dealers from publicly competing on price—in the name of consumer transparency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

At the same time, understanding how cancer cells may take advantage of that mechanism could reveal new strategies for preventing tumors from surviving treatment and returning.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The government says it is exploring other avenues of tackling prolific shoplifting, in addition to prison sentences and drug treatment, such as technology or court orders preventing them from visiting certain shops or areas.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Fear of being alone and abandoned was like a wall preventing him from experiencing the magic that had latched on to him.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023