as in preventive
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
the department in charge of taking preventative measures against international terrorism
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as in insurance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preventative
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The best protections include preventative methods.
—Brandi D. Addison, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 22 Jan. 2026
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This essential mental refreshment is a powerful preventative against burnout and directly injects new vitality into your creative process.
—Kice Akkawi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Adjective
Routine flushing and other preventative steps will continue across county buildings.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The best protections include preventative methods.
—Brandi D. Addison, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Evans called those measures reactive instead of preventative.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This essential mental refreshment is a powerful preventative against burnout and directly injects new vitality into your creative process.
—Kice Akkawi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventative
Adjective
-
Simple preventive steps like disconnecting hoses, covering faucets, insulating pipes, and knowing how to shut off water can help homeowners avoid emergencies altogether.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Smart homes and preventive health come together The Sleepal AI Lamp fits naturally into modern smart homes.—
Sleepal,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The first-in-the-nation AI legislation is designed to protect consumers from the very real risk of algorithmic discrimination by AI systems in decisions regarding employment, lending, education opportunities, insurance, housing, health care, and essential government services.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
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Other job losses were in financial activities (real estate, insurance, investments), with 2,300 jobs lost; trade, transportation and utilities (mostly retail), down 1,400; and information (telecommunications, newspapers, publishing industry), down by 900.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This weekend a massive winter storm could affect roughly half of the American population, so people with pets should take precautions to keep them safe.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Even light amounts of wintry precipitation or patchy blowing snow will cause slick conditions and could affect travel if precautions are not taken.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preventative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventative. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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