prevention
Americannoun
-
the act of preventing; effectual hindrance.
-
a preventive.
This serum is a prevention against disease.
noun
-
the act of preventing
-
a hindrance, obstacle, or impediment
Other Word Forms
- nonprevention noun
Etymology
Origin of prevention
1520–30; < Late Latin praeventiōn- (stem of praeventiō ) a forestalling. See prevent, -ion
Explanation
When an action stops something from happening, like assigning extra teachers to watch a playground during recess to prevent bullying, it's called prevention. The noun prevention comes up most often when people are trying to keep something bad in check, like crime, disease, or forest fires. Educating kids about nutrition is one form of obesity prevention, for example, and lowering speed limits can help with accident prevention. The word prevent is at the root of prevention, and it comes from the Latin praeventus, "anticipate or hinder."
Vocabulary lists containing prevention
Word Generation Weekly - Series 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chemical Engineering
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Autism researchers and advocates are working toward developing better screening tools, safety plans, therapies and prevention strategies.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
"Shifting the paradigm toward proactive prevention strategies earlier in life can meaningfully change the trajectory of cardiovascular disease and lead to better health outcomes for people decades later," says Seth Martin, M.D.,
From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026
Spacey and Clinton were travelling on a humanitarian trip to promote Aids prevention.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Gilead, for one, doesn’t have to worry about its competitive positioning in HIV treatment and prevention.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Of course fire prevention was the last thing the Herdmans knew anything about—except to be against it, I guess—so you had to hope the reporter wouldn’t pick one of them to interview.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
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.
