Dictionary

prevent en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /pɹɪˈvɛnt/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /pɹəˈvɛnt/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“to anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“to come”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
   • Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history. 2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport:
   • I brush my teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.
   • Barriers have been put up to prevent more people (from) entering the stadium.
2. (archaic, intransitive) To take preventative measures.
   • I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent! 1897 October 16, Henry James, What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To come before; to precede.
   • We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 4:15:
   • We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us. 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:
   • Then had I come, preventing Sheba's Queen, / To ſee the comelieſt of the Sons of Men; […] 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, book II (Pleasure), page 448:
4. (obsolete, transitive) To outdo, surpass.
   • With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC:
5. (obsolete, transitive) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
   • their ready guilt preventing thy commands c. 1699 – 1703, Alexander Pope, “The First Book of Statius His Thebais”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

preventable · unpreventability · preventingly · preventer · preventible · preventive · prevent defense · preventative · preventor · preventability · prevention · preventory · unprevented

Synonyms

throttle · avert · anticipate

Translations (91)

de verhindern (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sv förebygga (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · mi whakakati (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · arz منع (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · he מָנַע (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · pl zapobiegać (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · tl iwasan (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cy rhwystro (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · be прадухілі́ць (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sv förhindra (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · kk болдырмау (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · vi ngăn chặn (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · it prevenire (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · hu meggátol (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ko 방해하다 (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sh spréčiti (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · kk болдырмай қою (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · bg предотвратявам (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ru предотврати́ть (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · izh estää (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · mk спречи (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · az qabaqlamaq (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · pl zapobiec (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · hu megakadályoz (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · la arceō (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · az qarşısını almaq (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · alt болдырбаар (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ro preîntâmpina (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · pt prevenir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ru предотвраща́ть (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ht anpeche (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · pt impedir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · de vorbeugen (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ja 予防する (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cs bránit (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · id mencegah (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · eo malhelpi (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · hu megelőz (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · fi estää (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · bg попречвам (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · hi निवारण (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · es prevenir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · uk запобіга́ти (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cs zabránit (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · kk алдын алу (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sh спреча́вати (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cmn 預防 /预防 (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · nb forebygge (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · be прадухіля́ць (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · tpi abrusim (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sh спре́чити (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · wyi me-am bak (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · el αποτρέπω (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cmn 防止 (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · eo preventi (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ga coisc (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · et ennetama (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ru помеша́ть (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · eo malebligi (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ko 막다 (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · gl impedir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · fr empêcher (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · nl voorkomen (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · izh essyttää (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ml തടയുക (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · mnc ᡩᠣᡳᡤᠣᠮᡧᠣᠮᠪᡳ (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · cy atal (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · te నివారించు (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · enm merren (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · grc κωλύω (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · sh sprečávati (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · da forhindre (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ro preveni (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · tpi daunim (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · az qabağını almaq (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · uk запобі́гти (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · de etwas daran hindern (zu geschehen) (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · mi whakahōtaetae (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · fi ehkäistä (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · th ป้องกัน (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ca prevenir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ms mencegah (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · vi ngăn (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · kum болма къоймамакъ (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ga urghair (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ru меша́ть (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · nl verhinderen (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ca impedir (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · ar مَنَعَ (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede) · it impedire (to keep from happening — see also forestall, avert, ward off, impede)