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prevention

/pɹɪˈvɛnʃən/

Prevention is typically used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general concept of stopping something from happening. It is often used in formal contexts, such as medical, legal, or security discussions (e.g., "disease prevention" or "crime prevention"). A common English proverb associated with this word is "Prevention is better than cure," meaning it is easier to stop a problem from starting than to fix it after it has happened.

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon, Jessica is staring at a chaotic spreadsheet while David is in a different building.
Jessica

The client's data is a mess. We need a prevention plan before this spirals.

Jessica
David
David

Let's just touch base later. Don't sweat the small stuff.

💡
Jessica is treating a data error as a catastrophe, focusing on 'prevention' to avoid future failure. David uses the idiom 'don't sweat the small stuff' to dismiss her anxiety and the corporate buzzword 'touch base' to postpone the conversation.

Meanings

noun

The act of stopping something from happening or arising.

"Crime prevention is a priority for the local police department."

noun

The act of hindering or prohibiting someone from doing something.

"The prevention of unauthorized access to the server is critical for security."

Last Updated: May 22, 2026Report an Error