preventive

American  

[pri-ven-tiv] / prɪˈvɛn tɪv /

Also preventative

adjective

1. Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.

2. serving to prevent or hinder.

   preventive measures.

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noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.

2. a preventive agent or measure.

preventive British  

/ prɪˈvɛntɪv /

adjective

1. tending or intended to prevent or hinder

2. med

   1. tending to prevent disease; prophylactic

   2. of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease

3. (in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard

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noun

1. something that serves to prevent or hinder

2. med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease

3. another name for contraceptive

Other Word Forms

• nonpreventive
  adjective
• nonpreventively
  adverb
• nonpreventiveness
  noun
• preventively
  adverb
• preventiveness
  noun
• unpreventative
  adjective
• unpreventive
  adjective
• unpreventively
  adverb
• unpreventiveness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of preventive

First recorded in 1630–40; prevent + -ive

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.

Example Sentences

Preventive steps could include educating commercial vessel operators, adjusting ferry routes, or implementing speed restrictions in high-risk areas.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

The study was published online in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology at the time of its presentation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

She is the immediate past president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology and the co-author of the book “Saving Women’s Hearts.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Preventive and other companies are now proposing to take gene editing to the embryo stage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

"You'll find, sir, the Preventive men will make little difference between master and servant when they discover the pretty letter you are carrying."

From Lawrence Clavering by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)