prevention
Americannoun
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the act of preventing; effectual hindrance.
-
a preventive.
This serum is a prevention against disease.
noun
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the act of preventing
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a hindrance, obstacle, or impediment
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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Chemical Engineering
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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.
Supervisor Janice Hahn has taken up the issue, backing a March motion directing county departments to report back on jail deaths and overdose prevention.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
Elliott Rodgers will assume the role on Sept. 9, taking on responsibility for Kohl’s enterprise operations including its stores, global supply chain and distribution centers, procurement and loss prevention, the retailer said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
The idea is that prevention is better than a cure when it comes to instilling financial responsibility in young people.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
These include balance training, resistance exercise, and personalized fall prevention programs that combine approaches such as exercise, hazard assessment, and education based on an individual's specific risk factors.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
But for those not yet touched by the disease and certainly for the generations as yet unborn, prevention is the imperative need.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
