prophylactic

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​phy·​lac·​tic ˌprō-fə-ˈlak-tik 

also

ˌprä- 

1

: guarding from or preventing the spread or occurrence of disease or infection

2

: tending to prevent or ward off : preventive

prophylactically

ˌprō-fə-ˈlak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

 also  ˌprä-

adverb

prophylactic

2 of 2

noun

: something prophylactic

especially : a device and especially a condom for preventing venereal infection or conception

Synonyms

Adjective

• preventive
• preventative

Examples of prophylactic in a Sentence

Adjective

the prophylactic use of antibiotics

the many prophylactic measures that city officials could have taken to reduce the scope of the disaster

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

People with weakened immune systems may also benefit from using a laundry sanitizer as a prophylactic measure. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025

And he’s got a prophylactic nasal rinse, which, actually, he’s come to sort of like for reasons that don’t have much to do with COVID. —Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025

Noun

Believed to be made from a sheep’s appendix, the prophylactic dates back to 1830 and is likely a souvenir from a brothel, according to a statement from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam on Tuesday. —Jack Guy, CNN Money, 3 June 2025

Florida is one of six states awarded CDC funding dedicated to lowering HIV infections, which helps pay for medicine like pre-exposure prophylactics (PrEP) for at-risk patients. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin prophylacticus, borrowed from Greek prophylaktikós, from prophylakt-, stem in nominal derivation of prophylássein "to keep guard before a place, be on guard, (middle voice) to be on one's guard against, take precautions against" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at prophylaxis

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin prophylacticon "protective measure against disease," borrowed from Late Greek prophylaktikón, noun derivative from neuter of Greek prophylaktikós prophylactic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1641, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prophylactic

• chemotactic
• chiropractic
• isotactic
• anaphylactic
• extragalactic
• intergalactic
• stereotactic
• climactic
• didactic
• galactic
• syntactic
• lactic

Kids Definition

prophylactic

1 of 2 adjective

pro·​phy·​lac·​tic ˌprō-fə-ˈlak-tik 

1

: guarding from or preventing the spread or occurrence of disease or infection

2

: tending to prevent or ward off

prophylactic

2 of 2 noun

: something prophylactic

especially : a device and especially a condom for preventing infection or pregnancy

Medical Definition

prophylactic

1 of 2 adjective

pro·​phy·​lac·​tic

ˌprō-fə-ˈlak-tik also ˌpräf-ə-

1

: guarding from or preventing the spread or occurrence of disease or infection

prophylactic therapy

2

: tending to prevent or ward off : preventive

prophylactically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

prophylactic

2 of 2 noun

: something (as a medicinal preparation) that is prophylactic

especially : a device and especially a condom for preventing venereal infection or conception

Legal Definition

prophylactic

adjective

pro·​phy·​lac·​tic ˌprō-fə-ˈlak-tik, ˌprä- 

: designed or tending to prevent harm or wrong

a prophylactic rule against profiting from inside information