Prevented Definition & Meaning

Other Words from prevent

preventability \ pri-ˌven-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

preventable or less commonly preventible \ pri-ˈven-tə-bəl

\ adjective

preventer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for prevent

prevent, anticipate, forestall mean to deal with beforehand. prevent implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable. measures taken to prevent leaks anticipate may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first. anticipated the question by making a statement forestall implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course. hoped to forestall the sale

Examples of prevent in a Sentence

Seatbelts in cars often prevent serious injuries. Can exercise and a healthy diet prevent heart disease? The accident could have been prevented. He grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling. Bad weather prevented us from leaving. How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party? See More

Recent Examples on the Web Of course, just because reinfections are possible, doesn’t mean people should give up on all efforts to prevent them; staying up-to-date on vaccinations and wearing masks indoors in places with high transmission still work to lower risk. — Sara G. Miller, NBC News, 16 June 2022 Depositors accused Zhengzhou authorities of tampering with the health code system to prevent them from returning to the city -- and thus thwarting their plans to fend for their rights. — Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 June 2022 Thomas shoved Ventura in the chest in the seventh inning after Ventura tried to prevent him from getting ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2022 The result is a group of colleagues whose communication barriers prevent them from working well together to get anything done. — Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2022 You weren’t sent there to get schooling, to get help, you were sent there to prevent you from having children. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2022 Urban and industrial noise can also change the timing of birds’ songs, suppress the complexity of their calls, and prevent them from finding mates. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 13 June 2022 Keep the soles facing each other to prevent them from getting dirty during the move. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2022 Firefighters on Monday were working to put out the fire and prevent it from going near communities, per Forest Service officials. — Alison Steinbach, The Arizona Republic, 13 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prevent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.