as in preventative
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
if you start taking this preventive medicine now, you may not get sick after all
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as in precaution
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
if people took the simple preventive of frequently washing their hands, the spread of germs could be greatly reduced
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Recent Examples of preventive
Nick Thomas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024
This dynamic was a big reason Covid death rates so dramatically diverged between Republicans and Democrats: Party affiliation determined people’s willingness to get vaccinated, wear masks, social distance, and take other preventive measures, says Oberlander.
—Keren Landman, Vox, 27 Nov. 2024
Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 30 Dec. 2022
Once experts predict a potential outbreak, who funds the necessary preventive and containment measures?
—Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, 20 Aug. 2018
See all Example Sentences for preventive 
Adjective
In addition, the lack of an effective primary care infrastructure plays a big role in exacerbating a comparative absence of preventive screening and higher-quality disease management.
—Nick Thomas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024
This dynamic was a big reason Covid death rates so dramatically diverged between Republicans and Democrats: Party affiliation determined people’s willingness to get vaccinated, wear masks, social distance, and take other preventive measures, says Oberlander.
—Keren Landman, Vox, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
In the end, however, experts say there is only one true preventive — or cure — for a hangover: Don’t drink.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 30 Dec. 2022
Once experts predict a potential outbreak, who funds the necessary preventive and containment measures?
—Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, 20 Aug. 2018
See all Example Sentences for preventive
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Cite this Entry
“Preventive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventive. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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