precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən 
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
warned of the need for precaution
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good : safeguard
take the necessary precautions
Examples of precaution in a Sentence
Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions when cooking outdoors.
When driving, she always wears her seatbelt as a precaution.
Every home owner should take precautions against fire.
She took the precaution of packing extra medicine for the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
As a precaution, the parents took the son to UC Davis hospital to be checked.
—
Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
There are also significant safety precautions and precise application conditions involved.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The warning was primarily out of precaution for those in the beginning of growing season.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
King Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, attended Easter Sunday church service at St. George's Chapel, sitting apart from the rest of the royal family and attendees as a precaution due to his ongoing cancer treatment.
—Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Solar eclipse warnings pile up:Watch out for danger in the sky, on the ground on April 8
Transportation departments in several states are warning people about road safety precautions ahead of the event.
—Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Opioid treatment chains backed by private equity are fighting calls for reform
American methadone clinics, however, argue that the current restrictions are necessary safety precautions.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
Residents who were evacuated as a precaution are returning to their homes.
—Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The two captains were required by navigational rules to slow down, steer right and sound their steam whistles out of precaution.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
There are also significant safety precautions and precise application conditions involved.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The warning was primarily out of precaution for those in the beginning of growing season.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
King Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, attended Easter Sunday church service at St. George's Chapel, sitting apart from the rest of the royal family and attendees as a precaution due to his ongoing cancer treatment.
—Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Solar eclipse warnings pile up:Watch out for danger in the sky, on the ground on April 8
Transportation departments in several states are warning people about road safety precautions ahead of the event.
—Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Opioid treatment chains backed by private equity are fighting calls for reform
American methadone clinics, however, argue that the current restrictions are necessary safety precautions.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
Residents who were evacuated as a precaution are returning to their homes.
—Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The two captains were required by navigational rules to slow down, steer right and sound their steam whistles out of precaution.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precaution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near precaution
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or to bring about a good result
take precautions against fire
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