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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

prevention en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /pɹɪˈvɛnʃən/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English prevencion, from Medieval Latin prēventiō.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The act of preventing or hindering; obstruction of action, access, or approach; thwarting.
    • But no Man Pities another for any Evil lying upon Him, which he would not help, but which he could not. One is his Burden, the other his Choice; Vertually at least, since he might have Chosen its Prevention. 1698, Robert South, “Sermon Preached at Christ-Church, Oxon. before the University”, in Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, London: […] Tho[mas] Warren for Thomas Bennet […], →OCLC, page 222:
    • In the next few days we'll announce the administration's new strategy for the prevention of drug abuse and drug trafficking. 1982, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Radio Address - 2 October 1982:
    • It performed this task in the beginning and has always exercised the power of passing on books. By this transfer, the Pope points out, every danger of a collision, which might become very embarrassing, is evaded. The prevention of such collisions has indeed been one of the chief reasons for Pius X to undertake the complete reorganization of the Roman Curia. 1920, Francis Sales Betten, The Roman Index of Forbidden Books:
    • a fire prevention campaign
    • Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
  2. (countable, uncountable) Any measure intended to limit health-related risks (such as information campaigns, vaccination, early diagnosis etc.).
    • Whatever cures are known, and preventions that are practiced now, could have been common knowledge centuries ago. 1933, David Marshall Brooks, The Necessity of Atheism:
  3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The act of going, or state of being, before.
    • It is generally knowne and obserued, that Light, and the Obiect of Sight, moue swifter than Sound; For we see the Flash of a Peece [i.e. firearm] is seene sooner, than the Noise is heard. […] And the greater the Distance, the greater is the Preuention: As we see in Thunder, which is farre off; where the Lightning Precedeth the Cracke a good space. 1631, Francis [Bacon], “III. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, page 59:
  4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Anticipation; especially, anticipation of needs, wishes, hazards and risks
    • [Suffolk, York and Beaufort] Have all limed bushes to betray thy wings, And, fly thou how thou canst, they’ll tangle thee: But fear not thou, until thy foot be snared, Nor never seek prevention of thy foes. 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
  5. (countable, uncountable) precaution; forethought.
    • 1659, Henry Hammond, A Paraphrase and Annotations upon All the Books of the New Testament, London: Richard Davis, The Gospel according to S. LUKE, Chapter 14, verse 3, p. 238, And Jesus […] by way of prevention asked a question of the Doctors of the law and Pharisees that were present, saying, Is the working of a cure on a sick man a thing forbidden, and so unlawfull to be done upon a sabbath day?

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
preventions Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

immunoprevention · photoprevention · prevention is better than cure · nonprevention · angioprevention · prevenception · an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure · antiprevention · loss prevention · preventionist · an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure · preventionism · an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure · chemoprevention · preventional

Translations (51)

nl preventie (The act of preventing or hindering) · fi torjunta (The act of preventing or hindering) · es prevención (The act of preventing or hindering) · fi ennaltaehkäiseminen (The act of preventing or hindering) · el αποτροπή (The act of preventing or hindering) · bg предотвратяване (The act of preventing or hindering) · ro anticipare (Anticipation) · wa espaitchance (The act of preventing or hindering) · hy կանխարգելում (The act of preventing or hindering) · bg профилактика (Measure to limit health risks) · ru предотвраще́ние (The act of preventing or hindering) · fr prévention (Measure to limit health risks) · bg очакване (Anticipation) · hi निवारण (The act of preventing or hindering) · et profülaktika (Measure to limit health risks) · uk запобігання (The act of preventing or hindering) · ar مَنْع (The act of preventing or hindering) · hu megelőzés (The act of preventing or hindering) · hi रोकना (The act of preventing or hindering) · sh anticipacija (Anticipation) · pl prewencja (The act of preventing or hindering) · ja 予防 (The act of preventing or hindering) · pl zapobieganie (The act of preventing or hindering) · ko 예방 (The act of preventing or hindering) · ro prevenire (The act of going, or state of being, before) · cmn 預防 /预防 (The act of preventing or hindering) · uk попередження (The act of preventing or hindering) · pt prevenção (Measure to limit health risks) · el πρόληψη (The act of preventing or hindering) · ru профила́ктика (Measure to limit health risks) · kk алдын алу (The act of preventing or hindering) · it prevenzione (Measure to limit health risks) · fi ehkäiseminen (The act of preventing or hindering) · de Prävention (The act of preventing or hindering) · bg попречване (The act of preventing or hindering) · fi ennaltaehkäisy (The act of preventing or hindering) · te నివారణము (The act of preventing or hindering) · sh predupređivanje (The act of preventing or hindering) · es prevención (Measure to limit health risks) · ro preîntâmpinare (The act of preventing or hindering) · pdt Väabieejunk (Measure to limit health risks) · sh predohrana (The act of preventing or hindering) · fi torjuminen (The act of preventing or hindering) · ro prevenire (The act of preventing or hindering) · sh prevencija (The act of preventing or hindering) · pdt Väabieejunk (The act of preventing or hindering) · fr prévention (The act of preventing or hindering) · sh preveniranje (The act of preventing or hindering) · ca prevenció (The act of preventing or hindering) · pt prevenção (The act of preventing or hindering) · fi ehkäisy (The act of preventing or hindering)