prevent
verbCA, US, UK /pɹɪˈvɛnt/ · /pɹəˈvɛnt/
Etymology From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“to anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“to come”).
1
To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
- I brush my teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.
- Barriers have been put up to prevent more people (from) entering the stadium.
1 more example
- Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history.2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport:
2
Archaic To take preventative measures.
- I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent!1897 October 16, Henry James, What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC:
3
Obsolete To come before; to precede.
- We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:
- We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 4:15:
1 more example
- Then had I come, preventing Sheba's Queen, / To ſee the comelieſt of the Sons of Men; […]1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, book II (Pleasure), page 448:
4
Obsolete To outdo, surpass.
- With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC:
5
Obsolete To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
- their ready guilt preventing thy commandsc. 1699 – 1703, Alexander Pope, “The First Book of Statius His Thebais”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC:
- Derived terms
- preventability, preventable, preventative, prevent defense, preventer, preventible, preventingly, prevention, preventive, preventor, preventory, unpreventability, unprevented