prevent

verb

pre·​vent pri-ˈvent How to pronounce prevent (audio)
prevented; preventing; prevents

transitive verb

1
: to keep from happening or existing
steps to prevent war
2
: to hold or keep back : hinder, stop
often used with from
3
: to deprive of power or hope of acting or succeeding
4
archaic
a
: to be in readiness for (something, such as an occasion)
b
: to meet or satisfy in advance
c
: to act ahead of
d
: to go or arrive before

intransitive verb

: to interpose an obstacle
preventability noun
preventable adjective
or less commonly preventible
preventer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for prevent

prevent, anticipate, forestall mean to deal with beforehand.

prevent implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable.

measures taken to prevent leaks

anticipate may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first.

anticipated the question by making a statement

forestall implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course.

hoped to forestall the sale

Examples of prevent in a Sentence

Seatbelts in cars often prevent serious injuries. Can exercise and a healthy diet prevent heart disease? The accident could have been prevented. He grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling. Bad weather prevented us from leaving. How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party?
Recent Examples on the Web Since the New Hampshire robocalls, however, the FCC has outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, and major tech companies have signed a pact to adopt precautions voluntarily to prevent AI tools from being used to disrupt elections. Holly Ramer, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 This combination is supposed to help prevent pressure points from developing along your hips, shoulders, and lower back. Sarah Madaus, Allure, 14 Mar. 2024 Could a simple refrigerator staple help prevent type 2 diabetes? Sarah Garone, Health, 14 Mar. 2024 The world’s biggest tech companies recently — and voluntarily — signed a pact to prevent AI tools from disrupting elections. Ali Swenson, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 The parties are now waiting for French financial regulators to say if the consortium can unilaterally waive the independent expert’s report and whether WMG’s preliminary proposal prevents the waiver of the board’s condition. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Early detection of colon cancer can prevent a majority of deaths from this disease, possibly as much as 73 percent of them. Gina Kolata, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 In a letter to tenants, Arris management said Terrill circumvented a locked gate that is supposed to prevent people from reaching floors of the garage reserved for residents. Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 This clarity prevents overlap and streamlines operations. Dean Debiase, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prevent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to anticipate, from Latin praeventus, past participle of praevenire to come before, anticipate, forestall, from prae- + venire to come — more at come

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4c

Time Traveler
The first known use of prevent was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near prevent

Cite this Entry

“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prevent

verb
pre·​vent pri-ˈvent How to pronounce prevent (audio)
1
: to keep from happening
prevent accidents
2
: to hold or keep back : hinder, stop
bad weather prevented us from leaving
preventable adjective
also preventible

More from Merriam-Webster on prevent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!