precaution

noun

pre·​cau·​tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən How to pronounce precaution (audio)
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
warned of the need for precaution
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good : safeguard
take the necessary precautions
precautionary adjective

Examples of precaution in a Sentence

Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions when cooking outdoors. When driving, she always wears her seatbelt as a precaution. Every home owner should take precautions against fire. She took the precaution of packing extra medicine for the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Secret Service put additional precautions in place for the former president after he was targeted in an assassination attempt this summer. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024 From about July 2016 to May 2018, Divers circumvented these precautions by opening bank accounts in the name of Kodiak but as the only account signatory, authorities said. Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024 The Arizona Department of Transportation reminded drivers to take extra precautions when hitting the road in the rain, suggesting drivers leave extra braking room and travel time. Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024 Newsweek contacted local police forces in a number of cities including New York City, Boston, Chicago and Houston out of hours via email for comment on what precautions local services are implementing for the upcoming election. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for precaution 

Word History

Etymology

French précaution, from Late Latin praecaution-, praecautio, from Latin praecavēre to guard against, from prae- + cavēre to be on one's guard — more at hear

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precaution was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near precaution

Cite this Entry

“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

precaution

noun
pre·​cau·​tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən How to pronounce precaution (audio)
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or to bring about a good result
take precautions against fire
precautionary adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on precaution

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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