prevention

noun

pre·​ven·​tion pri-ˈven(t)-shən 

: the act of preventing or hindering

Synonyms

• avoidance
• prohibition

Examples of prevention in a Sentence

Exercise and diet play a role in the prevention of heart disease.

good crowd control is crucial to the prevention of riots

Recent Examples on the Web

Wildfire prevention and protection of our lands have been a key initiative of mine, and now, the work is more necessary than ever. —Jean-Pierre Conte, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025

Core services will be the focus, particularly chronic disease prevention. —Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025

This greater understanding is now being explored as potential preventions or therapies for a wide range of diseases, from H5N1 bird flu and HIV to cancer. —Simon Williams, Time, 15 Aug. 2025

Always Active These Cookies and SDKs are required for Service functionality, including security and fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing prevention

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• prevention is better than cure

Rhymes for prevention

• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention
• dimension
• dissension
• distension
• extension
• intension
• invention
• laurentian

Kids Definition

prevention

noun

pre·​ven·​tion pri-ˈven-chən 

: the act or practice of preventing something

the prevention of fires