preventive
Americanadjective
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Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.
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serving to prevent or hinder.
preventive measures.
noun
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Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.
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a preventive agent or measure.
adjective
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tending or intended to prevent or hinder
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med
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tending to prevent disease; prophylactic
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of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease
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(in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard
noun
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something that serves to prevent or hinder
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med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease
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another name for contraceptive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of preventive
Explanation
Anything preventive hinders or stops something, especially diseases. When you prevent something, you stop it from happening. Likewise, anything preventive is used to ward off a bad outcome. Wearing a warm coat is preventative: it keeps you from getting cold. Saving your money is preventive because it will keep you from the poorhouse if you lose your job. Most often, this word is used in medicine. Preventive (or preventative) measures keep you from getting sick. Stretching before a workout is preventive, because it can keep you injury-free.
Vocabulary lists containing preventive
National Nurses Week: Common Medical Terms
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Workshop 5, Part 2
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"Rough Justice"
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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.
And if they are getting screened because of symptoms or a family history, it’s no longer considered a preventive test.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
He also remaind up to date on all appropriate preventive screenings and immunisations.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
The volunteers are traversing villages, including in rebel-held territories, advising residents on preventive measures, as well as on seeking early treatment when symptoms appear.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
The results of a project carried out in Nice and along the French Riviera show why anticipation and preventive evacuation measures remain the only truly effective means of saving lives.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
Wishbone is a little dog with big pretensions. preventive.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
