preventive
Americanadjective
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Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.
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serving to prevent or hinder.
preventive measures.
noun
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Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.
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a preventive agent or measure.
adjective
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tending or intended to prevent or hinder
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med
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tending to prevent disease; prophylactic
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of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease
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(in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard
noun
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something that serves to prevent or hinder
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med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease
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another name for contraceptive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of preventive
Explanation
Anything preventive hinders or stops something, especially diseases. When you prevent something, you stop it from happening. Likewise, anything preventive is used to ward off a bad outcome. Wearing a warm coat is preventative: it keeps you from getting cold. Saving your money is preventive because it will keep you from the poorhouse if you lose your job. Most often, this word is used in medicine. Preventive (or preventative) measures keep you from getting sick. Stretching before a workout is preventive, because it can keep you injury-free.
Vocabulary lists containing preventive
National Nurses Week: Common Medical Terms
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Workshop 5, Part 2
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"Rough Justice"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Higher out-of-pocket expenses can strain household finances, discourage preventive medical care, and increase stress, anxiety, and medical debt, according to the authors.
From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026
The courts ordered the preventive seizure of "several assets, relating to sales contracts", the statement said.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
Even though the federal government mandates coverage of preventive colonoscopies and stool tests at no cost to the patient, money can still be a reason why people put off getting screened.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
When the rash appeared in early March, Barbabella said in a memo that the president was using a preventive cream for a skin condition.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
Two deacons wedged themselves around Brother Jackson as a preventive measure and two large determined- looking men walked down the aisle toward Sister Monroe.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
