precautionary

adj, noun — 2 senses

precautionary

adj

Etymology From precaution + -ary.

1

Of, pertaining to, or serving as a precaution.

  • The port cities were quarantined as a precautionary measure, though no cases of the disease had been found.
  • Fearing attack on the northern ports by the English, he even took precautionary measures by strengthening the defense of Shan-hai-kuan 山海關 and Ch‘in-huang-tao 秦皇島.1941, Huang Yen-yü, “Viceroy Yeh Ming-ch‘ên and the Canton Episode (1856-1861)”, in Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, volume 6, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard-Yenching Institute, →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 46–47:
1 more example
  • Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, issued a statement in support of the raids and signed a proclamation Friday to activate the National Guard as a precautionary measure “in anticipation of anti-ICE protests” this weekend.2025 June 15, Nicole Acevedo, “How a city in Nebraska is recovering after the state's largest worksite immigration raid”, in NBC News:
Derived terms
nonprecautionary, precautionarily

precautionary

noun

Etymology From precaution + -ary.

1

Obsolete A precaution.

  • Thou seest, Belford, by the above precautionaries, that I forget nothing.1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.