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
The now 57-year-old landmark has been closed since San Diego lifeguards shut its gates on Oct. 20 as a precaution amid high surf conditions.
—
Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
As a precaution, the FDA has begun screening imports of cinnamon from several countries for potential lead contamination.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The other half do not plan to implement any precautions at all.
—Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023
The campus was temporarily placed on lockdown as a precaution.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
That being said, all precautions are being taken by Icelandic authorities.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2023
No one had explained what precautions were being taken to avoid killing the hostages.
—Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
These and other precautions are the responsibility of senior people inside Okta.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Faucette received the transplant on September 20 and lived for six weeks—less time than the first recipient, despite extra precautions by the Maryland team.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023
See More
Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
As a precaution, the FDA has begun screening imports of cinnamon from several countries for potential lead contamination.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The other half do not plan to implement any precautions at all.
—Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023
The campus was temporarily placed on lockdown as a precaution.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
That being said, all precautions are being taken by Icelandic authorities.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2023
No one had explained what precautions were being taken to avoid killing the hostages.
—Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
These and other precautions are the responsibility of senior people inside Okta.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Faucette received the transplant on September 20 and lived for six weeks—less time than the first recipient, despite extra precautions by the Maryland team.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near precaution
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on precaution
Nglish: Translation of precaution for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of precaution for Arabic Speakers
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