pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈven-tə-tiv 
: devoted to or concerned with preventing something from happening : preventive entry 1
The best preventative medicine that you can give to your plants is to mulch them.—
Ann Whynman
Ann WhynmanLos Angeles County promised to revamp its system, gradually reducing the use of expensive inpatient hospitals through more preventative care at outpatient clinics.—Jonathan Cohn
Jonathan Cohn
plural preventatives
: something that serves to prevent something from occurring : preventive entry 2
We've got the live vaccinia virus vaccine as a preventative for smallpox …—D. A. Henderson et al.
D. A. Henderson et al.Green onions are a mosquito preventative.—Garrison Keillor
Garrison KeillorExamples of preventative in a Sentence
Adjective
the department in charge of taking preventative measures against international terrorism
Recent Examples on the Web
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
To reduce the risk of disease, people should be aware of areas where ticks are located and use preventative measures when in grassy, brushy or wooded areas, according to the press release.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The surgery is done as a preventative to keep the aneurysm from rupturing.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Regular vaccinations could stay infections Experts across the board recommended keeping up with local flu vaccine schedules as a preventative measure.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
To reduce the risk of disease, people should be aware of areas where ticks are located and use preventative measures when in grassy, brushy or wooded areas, according to the press release.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Consider using flea and tick preventatives and examine your dog after your hike.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The surgery is done as a preventative to keep the aneurysm from rupturing.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Cite this Entry
“Preventative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preventative. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preventative
adjective or noun
pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈvent-ət-iv
Medical Definition
preventative
adjective or noun
pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈvent-ət-iv
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share