prevention

noun

pre·​ven·​tion pri-ˈven(t)-shən 

: the act of preventing or hindering

Synonyms of prevention

• avoidance
• prohibition

Examples of prevention in a Sentence

Exercise and diet play a role in the prevention of heart disease.

good crowd control is crucial to the prevention of riots

Recent Examples on the Web

Supervisor Janice Hahn has taken up the issue, backing a March motion directing county departments to report back on jail deaths and overdose prevention. —Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Medical experts and substance abuse prevention advocates say the vaccine could eventually become another tool to help combat a crisis that continues to claim tens of thousands of lives each year. —Gino Vicci, CBS News, 18 June 2026

This may help explain why healthcare spending in the United States remains so concentrated around acute intervention rather than longitudinal disease prevention. —Jeffrey Wessler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Second mistake is failure to have ALL pets in the household on flea prevention. —Alora Bopray, USA Today, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing prevention

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• prevention is better than cure

Rhymes for prevention

• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention
• dimension
• dissension
• distension
• extension
• intension
• invention
• laurentian

Kids Definition

prevention

noun

pre·​ven·​tion pri-ˈven-chən 

: the act or practice of preventing something

the prevention of fires