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preventive

[ pri-ven-tiv ]
/ prɪˈvɛn tɪv /
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See synonyms for: preventive / preventives on Thesaurus.com

adjective
Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.
serving to prevent or hinder: preventive measures.
noun
Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.
a preventive agent or measure.
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Also pre·vent·a·tive [pri-ven-tuh-tiv] /prɪˈvɛn tə tɪv/ (for defs. 2, 4).

Origin of preventive

First recorded in 1630–40; prevent + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM preventive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use preventive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for preventive

preventive
/ (prɪˈvɛntɪv) /

adjective
tending or intended to prevent or hinder
med
  1. tending to prevent disease; prophylactic
  2. of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease
(in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard
noun
something that serves to prevent or hinder
med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease
another name for contraceptive
Also (except for sense 3): preventative (prɪˈvɛntətɪv)

Derived forms of preventive

preventively, adverbpreventiveness, noun
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
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