preventative

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​ven·​ta·​tive pri-ˈven-tə-tiv How to pronounce preventative (audio)
: devoted to or concerned with preventing something from happening : preventive entry 1
The best preventative medicine that you can give to your plants is to mulch them.Ann Whynman
Los Angeles County promised to revamp its system, gradually reducing the use of expensive inpatient hospitals through more preventative care at outpatient clinics.Jonathan Cohn

preventative

2 of 2

noun

plural preventatives
: something that serves to prevent something from occurring : preventive entry 2
We've got the live vaccinia virus vaccine as a preventative for smallpox …D. A. Henderson et al.
Green onions are a mosquito preventative.Garrison Keillor

Examples of preventative in a Sentence

Adjective the department in charge of taking preventative measures against international terrorism
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This is the practice of proposing additional procedures such as blood work or preventative parasite medication to customers—many of whom may lack the money to pay for them. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 9 May 2024 How to prevent tick bites The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends various preventative measures for avoiding tick bites, starting with the right bug repellent. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for preventative 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preventative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1655, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preventative was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near preventative

Cite this Entry

“Preventative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preventative. Accessed 18 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

preventative

adjective or noun
pre·​ven·​ta·​tive pri-ˈvent-ət-iv How to pronounce preventative (audio)

Medical Definition

preventative

adjective or noun
pre·​ven·​ta·​tive pri-ˈvent-ət-iv How to pronounce preventative (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on preventative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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