prevent

English Online Dictionary. What means prevent‎? What does prevent mean?

English

Alternative forms

• prævent (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“I come”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈvɛnt/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvɛnt/
• Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Hyphenation: pre‧vent

Verb

prevent (third-person singular simple present prevents, present participle preventing, simple past and past participle prevented)

1. (transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something). [from 16th c.]
2. (intransitive, now rare) To take preventative measures. [from 16th c.]
3. (obsolete, transitive) To come before; to precede. [16th–18th c.]
4. (obsolete, transitive) To outdo, surpass. [16th–17th c.]
5. (obsolete, transitive) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:hinder

Derived terms

• prevent defense
• preventative
• prevention
• preventive

Translations

References

• “prevent”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.