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Synonyms

prevent

American

[pri-vent] / prɪˈvɛnt /

verb (used with object)

to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.

He intervened to prevent bloodshed.

Synonyms:

thwart, obviate, preclude, forestall, obstruct

Antonyms:

assist, help
to hinder or stop from doing something.

There is nothing to prevent us from going.
Archaic. to act ahead of; forestall.
Archaic. to precede.
Archaic. to anticipate.

verb (used without object)

to interpose a hindrance.

He will come if nothing prevents.

prevent British

/ prɪˈvɛnt /

verb

(tr) to keep from happening, esp by taking precautionary action
to keep (someone from doing something); hinder; impede
(intr) to interpose or act as a hindrance
archaic (tr) to anticipate or precede

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Prevent, hamper, hinder, impede refer to different degrees of stoppage of action or progress. To prevent is to stop something effectually by forestalling action and rendering it impossible: to prevent the sending of a message. To hamper is to clog or entangle or put an embarrassing restraint upon: to hamper preparations for a trip. To hinder is to keep back by delaying or stopping progress or action: to hinder the progress of an expedition. To impede is to make difficult the movement or progress of anything by interfering with its proper functioning: to impede a discussion by demanding repeated explanations.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of prevent

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin praeventus “anticipated,” past participle of praevenīre “to anticipate,” equivalent to prae- pre- ( def. ) + venīre “to come”

Explanation

The verb prevent means "to keep something from happening," like when you use a complicated password to prevent hackers from accessing your account. Prevent comes from the Latin word praeventus, meaning "to act in anticipation of," like when you shovel the icy, snow-covered sidewalk to prevent people from falling. Prevent can also mean "to make impossible," like when a school locks the doors during a dance to prevent kids from leaving without their parents knowing.

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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.

See Examples For:

prevent prevents prevented preventing

As discussions over Clarity ramped up, Armstrong became an aggressive opponent of restrictions that would prevent Coinbase from continuing its rewards program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

The patient's laboratory measurements improved, although the researchers stressed that the complicated case and short treatment period prevent firm conclusions about the treatment's effectiveness.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

Warsh said the Fed raised rates to try to prevent the effects of tariff- and energy-induced inflation from spreading too deeply to other goods and services.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Tournament rules prevent him from playing for a side other than United in this season's competition.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

He’s going to leave if I don’t do something to prevent it.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

That, the whistleblower account warned, could lead to a “catastrophic failure” that prevents millions of Americans from voting.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Instead, the justices left in place a judge’s order that prevents the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

However, because the research was observational, it cannot establish that taking statins directly prevents dementia.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

Now, survivors and relatives of those who were killed are hoping to overturn the law they say prevents them from getting justice.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Here on the surface of the earth, we are protected against solar flares by our atmosphere, which prevents most of the radiation from reaching the ground.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Pantoja said Van is a top-tier fighter, but he believes the injury prevented both of them from showing everything they were capable of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

It is unclear what exactly a ban would entail, and whether employees of those outlets would be prevented from entering the White House grounds.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The issue is whether schools and youth sports organizations should sponsor a game whose primary health risks can’t be prevented by equipment technology alone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Genetically removing the enzyme that produces D-serine prevented or reduced several later cognitive problems.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

For my mother’s part, the fact that this man didn’t particularly want a family with her, was prevented by law from having a family with her, was part of the attraction.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Preservatives are added to foods for several reasons, including preventing the growth of bacteria and mold, slowing spoilage, and helping products maintain their color, flavor, or freshness for longer.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

It is language that courts have long interpreted as preventing the government from discriminating against the media based on the content of their coverage.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Instead of only preventing new methane emissions, scientists are exploring whether chemical processes could safely increase the rate at which methane already in the atmosphere is broken down.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine, are 97% effective at preventing the disease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Wyatt says of her: “She thinks: Why spend all of our time fixing problems when we can perhaps devote a little time preventing them in the first place?”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023