as in preventive
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
the many prophylactic measures that city officials could have taken to reduce the scope of the disaster
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Recent Examples of prophylactic
When a friend mentioned his brother died not from multiple myeloma but from an infection during treatment, Brown asked the AI about defensive measures and learned about prophylactic antibodies through monthly infusions.
—
Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Or that players need to change their approach to off-season training to account for the quick lateral movements that can lead to acute injuries, or that team trainers need to be more prophylactic and smarter about understanding the way the body compensates for instabilities.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
These include prophylactic vaccines, which prevent cancer, and therapeutic ones, which protect women who have already had breast cancer from getting it again.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Two injections of lenacapavir every six months offer near-perfect protection; older prophylactic treatments require daily pills, a challenge in countries with weak health systems.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prophylactic
Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Or that players need to change their approach to off-season training to account for the quick lateral movements that can lead to acute injuries, or that team trainers need to be more prophylactic and smarter about understanding the way the body compensates for instabilities.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
These include prophylactic vaccines, which prevent cancer, and therapeutic ones, which protect women who have already had breast cancer from getting it again.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Two injections of lenacapavir every six months offer near-perfect protection; older prophylactic treatments require daily pills, a challenge in countries with weak health systems.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prophylactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prophylactic
Adjective
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Public health specialists have warned that military members may suffer unnecessary complications from the flu after the vaccination mandate was ended and fear that severe cases will continue to climb in subsequent flu seasons if preventive vaccinations aren't given to those most at risk.—
Luis Martinez,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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Some preventive interventions absolutely reduce downstream spending.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Designed to help support healthier teeth, better sleep, and less jaw discomfort, ClearClub makes preventative dental care simple, convenient and more affordable.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
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The agency reminded residents to regularly inspect their homes for potential fire hazards, take preventative measures and maintain their smoke alarms.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prophylactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prophylactic. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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