preventative en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /pɹɪˈvɛntətɪv/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From prevent + -ative.
Meanings
-
(alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of preventive.
alt of preventive
1968, G. Anthony Wedge, N. A. P.: New American Party, Geddes Press Printers (1968), p. 155, "Preventative defense comes in two flavors […]"
2006, Robert Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson, Repairing & Upgrading Your PC, O'Reilly (2006), p. 70, "The goals of preventative maintenance are to reduce the likelihood of hardware failures, […]"
1920, Lillien Jane Martin, Mental hygiene: two years' experience of a clinical psychologist, Warwick &York (1920), p. 78, "That part of mental hygiene which has a prophylactic character falls into two classes, group preventative mental hygiene […]"
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most preventative | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more preventative | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
chemopreventative · preventatively · nonpreventative · preventative medicine · preventative maintenance