pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈven-tə-tiv 
: 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
Ann WhynmanLos Angeles County promised to revamp its system, gradually reducing the use of expensive inpatient hospitals through more preventative care at outpatient clinics.—Jonathan Cohn
Jonathan Cohn
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.
D. A. Henderson et al.Green onions are a mosquito preventative.—Garrison Keillor
Garrison KeillorSynonyms
Examples of preventative in a Sentence
Adjective
the department in charge of taking preventative measures against international terrorism
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 17 Feb. 2025
February 14, 2025 One year ago, Bianca Balti spoke with Vogue about her BRCA1 diagnosis and the choice to undergo a preventative mastectomy.
—Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
The solution isn’t a complete ban on the use of drugs in agriculture, but reducing infection through proper animal husbandry and, as is the case with humans, reserving antibiotics for the treatment of sick animals rather than deploying them widely as a preventative.
—Jeremy Coller, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preventative 
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Adjective
The company recommended rebuilding the road and sidewalk and adding better preventative measures, such as drainage trenches or pipes, to make sure surface water didn’t create more problems in the future.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 17 Feb. 2025
February 14, 2025 One year ago, Bianca Balti spoke with Vogue about her BRCA1 diagnosis and the choice to undergo a preventative mastectomy.
—Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
Tick preventatives and quick removal of ticks is the best way to avoid problems.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
The solution isn’t a complete ban on the use of drugs in agriculture, but reducing infection through proper animal husbandry and, as is the case with humans, reserving antibiotics for the treatment of sick animals rather than deploying them widely as a preventative.
—Jeremy Coller, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preventative
Dictionary Entries Near preventative
Cite this Entry
“Preventative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preventative. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preventative
adjective or noun
pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈvent-ət-iv
Medical Definition
preventative
adjective or noun
pre·ven·ta·tive
pri-ˈvent-ət-iv
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