prevention

noun

pre·​ven·​tion pri-ˈven(t)-shən 

: the act of preventing or hindering

Synonyms of prevention

• 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

The agency’s authority to investigate stems from Senate Bill 553, which was amended to broaden the scope of employers, including law enforcement agencies, to maintain workplace violence prevention plans. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026

The military use case aligns with Reconcept’s emphasis on prevention. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026

Most importantly, these assessments help institutions identify gaps in prevention, crisis communications and emergency response before a crisis occurs. —Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

That could include initial results from a phase three trial on a flu prevention product from Cidara Therapeutics, which the company acquired in November. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026

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