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
- nonpreventive adjective
- nonpreventively adverb
- nonpreventiveness noun
- preventively adverb
- preventiveness noun
- unpreventative adjective
- unpreventive adjective
- unpreventively adverb
- unpreventiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of preventive
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.
It’s fine for cleanings and basic preventive routines.
From Los Angeles Times
She explained that these models could shorten the time needed to evaluate potential preventive therapies.
From Science Daily
While preventive HPV vaccines can stop infection, they do not treat cancers that have already developed.
From Science Daily
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization focused on preventive medicine, clinical research, and improving ethical and scientific standards in education and research.
From Science Daily
This approach is meant to help clinicians recognize elevated risk earlier and take preventive steps sooner.
From Science Daily
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.
