PREVENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does prevent mean? 

• PREVENT (verb)
  The verb PREVENT has 2 senses:

1. keep from happening or arising; make impossible

2. stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

  Familiarity information: PREVENT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PREVENT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they prevent    ... he / she / it prevents   
Past simple: prevented   
Past participle: prevented   
-ing form: preventing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Keep from happening or arising; make impossible

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

forbid; foreclose; forestall; preclude; prevent

Context example:

Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prevent"):

inhibit (prohibit, forbid, or prevent from doing something)

make unnecessary; save (make unnecessary an expenditure or effort)

avert; avoid; debar; deflect; fend off; forefend; forfend; head off; obviate; stave off; ward off (prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening)

block; blockade; embarrass; hinder; obstruct; stymie; stymy (hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of)

baffle; bilk; cross; foil; frustrate; queer; scotch; spoil; thwart (hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of)

block; halt; kibosh; stop (stop from happening or developing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

preventative; preventive (tending to prevent or hinder)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

keep; prevent

Context example:

Keep the child from eating the marbles

Verb group:

keep (hold and prevent from leaving)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prevent"):

defend (be on the defensive; act against an attack)

exclude; keep out; shut; shut out (prevent from entering; shut out)

restrict (prevent (information) from being circulated or disclosed)

hold (keep from departing)

keep away (prevent from coming close)

restrain (prevent (someone or something) from doing something)

blank (keep the opposing (baseball) team from winning)

hinder; impede (be a hindrance or obstacle to)

rain out; wash out (prevent or interrupt due to rain)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They prevent him from writing the letter

Antonym:

let (make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen)

Derivation:

preventative (tending to prevent or hinder)

prevention (the act of preventing)

preventive (tending to prevent or hinder)

 Context examples 

But as to my letting her marry Robert Martin, it is impossible; she has refused him, and so decidedly, I think, as must prevent any second application.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Having done this, he drew up the windows on each side, and I found to my astonishment that they were covered with paper so as to prevent my seeing through them.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The ropes of varying length prevented the dogs attacking from the rear those that ran in front of them.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Adhesions can sometimes cause infertility in women by preventing fertilized eggs from reaching the uterus.

(Adhesions, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

The gray came in just after, and thereby prevented any ill treatment which the others might have given me.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

This explanation will serve to rectify mistakes which may already have been made, and to prevent future errors.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I will not be prevented, however, from making my own communication.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

A legal drug that is used to prevent, treat, or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal condition.

(Medication, NCI Dictionary)

While a plant-based diet is generally considered healthier than a meat-based diet in preventing the risk of diabetes, not all meats affect the risk equally.

(Eating Meat Linked to Higher Risk of Diabetes, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I called this morning, Dr. Huxtable, too late to prevent you from starting for London.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)