prevent
Americanverb (used with object)
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to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.
He intervened to prevent bloodshed.
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to hinder or stop from doing something.
There is nothing to prevent us from going.
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Archaic. to act ahead of; forestall.
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Archaic. to precede.
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Archaic. to anticipate.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to keep from happening, esp by taking precautionary action
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to keep (someone from doing something); hinder; impede
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(intr) to interpose or act as a hindrance
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archaic (tr) to anticipate or precede
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
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preventabilitynoun
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preventabiltynoun
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nonpreventableadjective
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nonpreventibleadjective
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preventableadjective
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preventibleadjective
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quasi-preventedadjective
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unpreventableadjective
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unpreventedadjective
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unpreventibleadjective
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preventablyadverb
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preventinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preventsimple
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preventssimple
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have preventedperfect
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has preventedperfect
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am preventingprogressive
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are preventingprogressive
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is preventingprogressive
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have been preventingperfect progressive
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has been preventingperfect progressive
Past
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preventedsimple
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had preventedperfect
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was preventingprogressive
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were preventingprogressive
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had been preventingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing prevent
"Handle with Care"
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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.
The central bank would ultimately need to act later in the year to prevent higher inflation expectations from becoming entrenched, ANZ said, despite growth momentum staying weak.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Their work suggests that a mathematical feature of space-time itself may prevent the cosmological constant from ballooning to the huge values expected from quantum physics.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
Lineage Logistics has previously been accused of failing to comply with safety regulations to prevent the accidental release of anhydrous ammonia.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Alternative producers should curtail supply to prevent a glut as the Gulf revs back up.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
It was such an awful thought she could not prevent herself from exclaiming, “Oh, my!”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
