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
- 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
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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.
Until now, the agency had awarded money only for homeless prevention efforts such as direct rental subsidies to tenants.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
He studied the prevention and cure of disease and how the body functioned, including respiration and blood circulation, and he had a nascent understanding of germs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
“We’re in the levee-building business, not the hurricane prevention business,” he said.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The 2026 Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia was developed by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association in collaboration with multiple medical organizations focused on cardiovascular health, prevention, and patient care.
From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026
Everybody said this was a great way to advertise fire prevention, and they congratulated the mayor and the fire chief for thinking it up, and the fire chief congratulated Mr. Santoro for donating the pizza.
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.
