Synonyms
Examples of prophylactic in a Sentence
Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 9 Aug. 2023
Jolie had a prophylactic mastectomy as well as a prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy.
—Mikayla Morell, Health, 15 Feb. 2023
In addition, any prophylactic antibody therapy for people in high-risk settings like nursing homes would have to be taken regularly, an expensive and less efficient method than using a vaccine to prompt a person’s immune system into building its own antibodies.
—Cynthia Dizikes, SFChronicle.com, 11 June 2020
The best prevention remains bed nets and prophylactic anti-malarial drugs.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2013
Some people may also choose to proceed with breast tissue removal, with a surgery called a prophylactic mastectomy.
—Amy Comander Md, Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2023
Preventative Surgery for Breast Cancer A prophylactic mastectomy is when a surgeon removes one or both breasts to prevent breast cancer.
—Mikayla Morell, Health, 15 Feb. 2023
Vaccines Now on the Horizon The fruits of that labor are now becoming evident as the FDA has begun reviewing several applications for RSV prophylactic products.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2023
Biotech company Dalan Animal Health, based in Athens, Georgia, gained approval for its prophylactic vaccine to protect honeybees from American foulbrood disease – an aggressive bacterium that can spread quickly from hive to hive, the company announced Jan. 4.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2023
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 23 July 2023
Sanctions, once a wartime action, were seen as a tool that could be used as a threat and thus a prophylactic to war itself.
—Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein, The New Republic, 13 Dec. 2022
Hence the prophylactic of hope.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 2 Mar. 2021
As background, there's been a used prophylactic on the street in front of our house for weeks that the street sweeper somehow keeps missing.
—Judith Martin, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2020
Garlic has been regarded as an effective prophylactic against vampires.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 21 Nov. 2014
The only reliable prophylactic was to site the city nine miles from the sea.
—Corey Robin, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022
Arguably the most important prophylactic is to spend more time clarifying what our moral values are and where our red lines are drawn.
—Julian Baggini, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2022
However, the prophylactic has been slow to reach developing countries and has proved far less effective at blocking the virus in most groups, including young women, who make up a majority of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa.
—Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prophylactic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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
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Cite this Entry
“Prophylactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophylactic. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
prophylactic
1 of 2 adjective
prophylactic
2 of 2 noun
Medical Definition
prophylactic
1 of 2 adjectiveprophylactic
2 of 2 noun
Legal Definition
prophylactic
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on prophylactic
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prophylactic
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