preventive

[ pri-ven-tiv ]

adjective

1. Medicine/Medical. of or noting a drug, vaccine, etc., for preventing disease; prophylactic.
2. serving to prevent or hinder:

   preventive measures.

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a drug or other substance for preventing disease.
2. a preventive agent or measure.

preventive

/ prɪˈvɛntɪv /

adjective

1. tending or intended to prevent or hinder
2. med
   1. tending to prevent disease; prophylactic
   2. of or relating to the branch of medicine concerned with prolonging life and preventing disease
3. (in Britain) of, relating to, or belonging to the customs and excise service or the coastguard

noun

1. something that serves to prevent or hinder
2. med any drug or agent that tends to prevent or protect against disease
3. another name for contraceptive

Derived Forms

• preˈventiveness, noun
• preˈventively, adverb

Other Words From

• pre·ventive·ly adverb
• pre·ventive·ness noun
• nonpre·ventive adjective
• nonpre·ventive·ly adverb
• nonpre·ventive·ness noun
• unpre·venta·tive adjective
• unpre·ventive adjective
• unpre·ventive·ly adverb
• unpre·ventive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of preventive¹

First recorded in 1630–40; prevent + -ive

Example Sentences

Southern California Edison, which had cut power to more than 40,000 homes in the area as a preventive measure as the Santa Ana winds howled, was reporting on Saturday that fewer than 100 homes were without power in the county.

From Los Angeles Times

Previously, Kennedy said he would redirect half of the national medical research budget to go toward “preventive, alternative and holistic approaches to health” and threatened to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci “if crimes were committed.”

From Salon

After downed power lines were found to have started some of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires, the state’s three largest utilities have adopted a preventive strategy to try to avoid sparking fires during powerful wind events.

From Los Angeles Times

For their part, food companies take preventive measures such as requiring workers to cover their shoes or step onto sanitized mats or into disinfecting foot baths whenever they enter a facility, and change their disposable aprons and gloves when moving from one production line to another.

From Los Angeles Times

This approach has revolutionized many human health intervention programs by identifying at-risk children and adults, which allows for more targeted interventions and preventive efforts.

From Salon