as in preventative
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
if you start taking this preventive medicine now, you may not get sick after all
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in precaution
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
if people took the simple preventive of frequently washing their hands, the spread of germs could be greatly reduced
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preventive
Paul Grein, Billboard, 2 June 2025
The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover preventive services without any cost for the patient.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 2 June 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022
When given as a preventive, it is meant as a two-dose vaccine given four weeks apart, which research suggests can reduce the risk of infection by about 85%.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 14 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for preventive
Adjective
Based in part on their responses, MusiCares expanded telehealth support for addiction recovery, introduced financial coaching, covered childcare costs and increased access to preventive care services, including mammograms and cervical screenings.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 2 June 2025
The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover preventive services without any cost for the patient.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 2 June 2025
Noun
And yet little is being done in response to the danger, let alone as a preventive to keep the situation from going further off the rails.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022
When given as a preventive, it is meant as a two-dose vaccine given four weeks apart, which research suggests can reduce the risk of infection by about 85%.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 14 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for preventive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventive
precaution
Noun
-
As a precaution, flights at Moscow airports were temporarily suspended overnight Thursday into Friday and then again late Friday afternoon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
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However, taking these precautions and consistently using them within your personal and professional life can help protect you and your organization.—
Renee Schafer,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preventive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventive. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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