prevent
To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
Example
“I brush my teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.”
Other meanings
To take preventative measures.
To come before; to precede.
Related words
- preventability
- preventable
- preventer
- preventible
- preventor
- preventory
- unpreventability
- unprevented
- preventingly
- prevent defense
- preventative
- prevention
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "praeventus".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “prevent” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.