precaution

noun

pre·​cau·​tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən How to pronounce precaution (audio)
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
precautionary adjective

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

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

Etymology

French précaution, from Late Latin praecaution-, praecautio, from Latin praecavēre to guard against, from prae- + cavēre to be on one's guard — more at hear

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precaution was in 1599

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.

Kids Definition

precaution

noun
pre·​cau·​tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən How to pronounce precaution (audio)
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
precautionary adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on precaution

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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