prevention
7 synonyms for prevention, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The act of stopping something, especially a problem or danger, before it happens.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use prevention
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
crime prevention
disease prevention
prevention is better than cure
Etymology
From Medieval Latin preventio, related to praevenire ("to anticipate, to come before").
Full origin of prevention →Frequently asked questions
What does “prevention” mean?
The word “prevention” means the act of stopping something, especially a problem or danger, before it happens. In plain terms, stopping a problem before it starts, rather than dealing with it afterwards.
How do you pronounce “prevention”?
“Prevention” is pronounced prih-VEHN-shuhn (/pɹɪˈvɛnʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “prevention” in a sentence?
Here is “prevention” used in a sentence: “Fire prevention starts with checking your smoke alarms regularly.”
What part of speech is “prevention”?
“Prevention” is a noun.
Where does the word “prevention” come from?
The word “prevention” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin preventio, related to praevenire ("to anticipate, to come before").
Is “prevention” a common word?
“Prevention” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between prevention and precaution?
Prevention is the act of stopping a problem or danger before it happens, focusing on the outcome. A precaution is a specific measure taken in advance to reduce risk, so precautions are the individual steps that make prevention possible.
What words commonly go with prevention?
Prevention usually pairs with the problem being stopped, as in "crime prevention", "disease prevention", "fire prevention", and "accident prevention". Each phrase names the danger that action is meant to head off.
