precaution meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

precaution

noun

UK /pɹiːˈkɔː.ʃən/ · US /pɹiːˈkɔ.ʃən/

Etymology From French précaution, Latin praecautio, from praecavere, praecautum (“to guard against beforehand”); prae (“before”) + cavere (“be on one's guard”). See pre-, and caution.

Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good.

his life was saved by precaution
July 2, 1826, John Henry Newman, The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospel The ancient philosophers treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable precaution.

A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act.

to take precautions against risks of accident
Despite all these precautions, however, severe storms sometimes caused drifts which brought traffic completely to a standstill.1955 December, H. A. Vallance, “The Highland Centenary—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 859:

Synonyms: forecaution
Derived terms: overprecaution, precautional, precautionary
Related terms: prevention

precaution

verb

Etymology From French précaution, Latin praecautio, from praecavere, praecautum (“to guard against beforehand”); prae (“before”) + cavere (“be on one's guard”). See pre-, and caution.

To warn or caution beforehand.

Rare To take precaution against.

Derived terms: unprecautioned