- preventive
- , preventative"One way to ease their difficulties, they decided, was to practice preventative medicine" (Economist). Preventative is not incorrect, but preventive is shorter.
Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors. 2013.
preventive
Look at other dictionaries:
Preventive — Pre*vent ive, a. [Cf. F. pr[ e]ventif.] 1. Going before; preceding. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Any previous counsel or preventive understanding. Cudworth. [1913 Webster] 2. Tending to defeat or hinder; obviating; preventing the access of; as, a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
preventive — pre‧ven‧tive [prɪˈventɪv] also pre‧ven‧ta‧tive [ ˈventətɪv] adjective [only before a noun] intended to stop something happening: • improvements in auto safety and other preventive measures. * * * preventive UK US /prɪˈventɪv/ adjective [before… … Financial and business terms
preventive — preventive, preventative Both words are in use as adjectives meaning ‘serving to prevent’, especially in medicine, and also as nouns denoting a substance or procedure that does this. Preventive is the commoner by a long way (with four times as… … Modern English usage
preventive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ designed to prevent something from occurring. ► NOUN ▪ a preventive medicine or other treatment … English terms dictionary
Preventive — Pre*vent ive, n. That which prevents, hinders, or obstructs; that which intercepts access; in medicine, something to prevent disease; a prophylactic. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
preventive — I adjective alert, antidotal, antiseptic, arresting, aseptic, averting, blocking, careful, cautious, checking, counteractant, counteracting, defensive, deterrent, deterring, disinfectant, forestalling, germicidal, guarded, guarding, hindering,… … Law dictionary
preventive — (adj.) 1630s, from L. praevent (pp. stem of praevenire, see PREVENT (Cf. prevent)) + IVE (Cf. ive). As a noun, from 1630s; in medical use from 1670s … Etymology dictionary
preventive — [prē vent′ə tiv, pri vent′ə tivprē vent′iv, privent′iv] adj. preventing or serving to prevent; esp., preventing disease n. anything that prevents; esp., anything that prevents disease; prophylactic: Also preventative [prē vent′ə tiv, pri vent′ə… … English World dictionary
preventive — adj. & n. adj. serving to prevent, esp. preventing disease, breakdown, etc. (preventive medicine; preventive maintenance). n. a preventive agent, measure, drug, etc. Phrases and idioms: preventive detention the imprisonment of a criminal for… … Useful english dictionary
preventive — I. noun Date: circa 1639 something that prevents; especially something used to prevent disease II. adjective Date: circa 1626 devoted to or concerned with prevention ; precautionary < preventive steps against soil erosion >: as a. designed or… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Préventive — Prévention La prévention est une attitude et/ou l ensemble de mesures à prendre pour éviter qu une situation (sociale, environnementale, économique..) ne se dégrade, ou qu un accident, une épidémie ou une maladie ne survienne. Elle… … Wikipédia en Français
