as in preventative
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
prior to the game, we moved the furniture out of the way as a precautionary measure
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Recent Examples of precautionary
Adoption of precautionary measures also increased during that time period, from 86 percent in 2024 to 92 percent in 2025.
—
Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
One firefighter was taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluation and while one family member sustained minor injuries while rescuing their four dogs, one dog was found dead at the scene, fire crews reported.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The Frenchman did part of the pre-match warm-up alone as a precautionary measure.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
About 9 million barrels of oil per day are offline due to facility shutdowns and precautionary production cuts, creating a global energy deficit.
—Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported McIlroy tweaked in his lower back at the gym and withdrew as a precautionary measure.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
The company, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, said the decision to halt the FM1 service, connecting the Far East to the Middle East, and the ME11 Service, linking the Middle East to Europe, was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its personnel and vessels.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Beijing paired diplomatic protest with precautionary measures, urging nationals in Iran to evacuate and warning citizens in Israel to strengthen their emergency preparedness.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Egypt has not halted its tourism initiatives since the start of the Israeli-Palestine conflict in October 2023, leading some regional experts to believe Egypt’s inclusion on the State Department’s latest statement to be a precautionary measure.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
One firefighter was taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluation and while one family member sustained minor injuries while rescuing their four dogs, one dog was found dead at the scene, fire crews reported.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The Frenchman did part of the pre-match warm-up alone as a precautionary measure.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
About 9 million barrels of oil per day are offline due to facility shutdowns and precautionary production cuts, creating a global energy deficit.
—Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported McIlroy tweaked in his lower back at the gym and withdrew as a precautionary measure.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
The company, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, said the decision to halt the FM1 service, connecting the Far East to the Middle East, and the ME11 Service, linking the Middle East to Europe, was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its personnel and vessels.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Beijing paired diplomatic protest with precautionary measures, urging nationals in Iran to evacuate and warning citizens in Israel to strengthen their emergency preparedness.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Egypt has not halted its tourism initiatives since the start of the Israeli-Palestine conflict in October 2023, leading some regional experts to believe Egypt’s inclusion on the State Department’s latest statement to be a precautionary measure.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
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Other moves like staying well hydrated, keeping skin well moisturised and making regular preventative dental appointments are important, too.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
12 Mar. 2026
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About 175,000 people in San Diego county are believed to have latent tuberculosis and be at risk without preventative treatment.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is a simple blood test that's widely available, and increasingly many primary care physicians offer it as part of preventive care.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
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There is nothing inherently wrong with higher-than-average spending, insofar as New York has determined to cover more preventive care that can, in the long run, keep people out of emergency rooms, for example.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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