prevention

prevention — noun

1. efforts or measures taken to ensure that something unpleasant or harmful does no

1.nounB2
Definition

efforts or measures taken to ensure that something unpleasant or harmful does not happen, especially by acting before it can begin

Example

Tamás wore a mask during flu season as part of his prevention routine.

collocation: prevention routine / prevention measures

The city council launched a fire prevention campaign after last year's dry summer.

noun compound: fire prevention

Common collocations
  • prevention of
  • prevention against
  • prevention and control
  • for prevention
  • prevention measures
  • prevention strategy
  • prevention programme
  • prevention campaign
  • prevention effort
  • best prevention
  • effective prevention
  • disease prevention
  • crime prevention
  • fire prevention
  • accident prevention
  • flood prevention
  • suicide prevention
Synonyms
  • avoidance

    focuses on staying away from something rather than actively stopping it

  • deterrence

    stopping something by creating fear of negative consequences; more formal and often used for crime or military contexts

  • precaution

    a specific advance measure taken to prevent harm, rather than the general concept

  • protection

    broader in meaning; includes defence after a threat arises, not only stopping it before it starts

Antonyms
  • causation

    the act of making something happen rather than stopping it

  • neglect

    the failure to take action, which may allow harm to occur

Grammar Patterns

prevention of + noun

prevention against + noun

noun + prevention (compound)

Usage Note

Typically used as an uncountable noun; it is not common to write 'a prevention' alone. Instead, use a compound (prevention plan, prevention strategy) or a prepositional phrase (the prevention of something).

Common Mistakes

We need a prevention for this disease.
We need to prevent this disease.' or 'We need prevention measures for this disease.
'prevention' is uncountable and does not usually stand alone with an article as a countable noun.
Idioms

prevention is better than cure

idiom

It is better to stop a problem before it starts than to fix it later.

Maya always wears sunscreen because prevention is better than cure.

Brian gets regular check-ups; he believes prevention is better than cure.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Prevention involves active efforts to stop something bad from occurring before it starts; it is the broadest and most commonly used term in public health, safety, and policy contexts. Avoidance is narrower — it means keeping away from a situation rather than stopping it through direct action (e.g., avoiding a dangerous neighbourhood rather than policing it). Deterrence relies on fear of consequences to prevent an action, and is typical in criminal justice or military discourse (e.g., nuclear deterrence). Precaution refers to a specific advance step taken to reduce risk, often temporary or one-off (e.g., wearing a helmet as a precaution), while prevention tends to describe ongoing systems or habits. Protection is the widest term: it includes defence even after harm begins, not only stopping it beforehand. Example: 'Vaccination is the best prevention against the flu, but wearing a mask is an extra precaution.'

prevention ↗avoidance ↗deterrenceprecautionprotection ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Prevention comes from Latin 'praeventus', the past participle of 'praevenire', which means 'to come before' or 'to anticipate'. 'Prae-' means 'before' and 'venire' means 'to come'. The word entered English through Old French 'prevention' in the 1400s, at first meaning 'the act of coming before' or 'anticipation'. Over time it shifted to its modern meaning of stopping something from happening by acting ahead of it. The related saying 'prevention is better than cure' dates from the 1600s.