- (transitive) to keep from happening, esp by taking precautionary action
- (transitive) often followed by from: to keep (someone from doing something); hinder; impede
- (intransitive) to interpose or act as a hindrance
- (transitive) archaic to anticipate or precede
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pre•vent /prɪˈvɛnt/USA pronunciation
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to keep from occurring;
stop:[~ + object]She took some pills to prevent seasickness. - to stop (someone) from doing something:[~ + object + from + verb-ing]Nothing will prevent us from going.
pre•vent
(pri vent′),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
pre•vent′a•ble, pre•vent′i•ble, adj.
pre•vent′a•bil′ty, n.
pre•vent′ing•ly, adv.
- to keep from occurring;
avert;
hinder:He intervened to prevent bloodshed. - to hinder or stop from doing something:There is nothing to prevent us from going.
- [Archaic.]to act ahead of;
forestall. - [Archaic.]to precede.
- [Archaic.]to anticipate.
v.i.
- to interpose a hindrance:He will come if nothing prevents.
- Latin praeventus (past participle of praevenīre to anticipate), equivalent. to prae- pre- + ven- (stem of venīre to come) + -tus past participle suffix
- late Middle English 1375–1425
pre•vent′a•bil′ty, n.
pre•vent′ing•ly, adv.
- 1. obstruct, forestall, preclude, obviate, thwart. Prevent, hamper, hinder, impede refer to different degrees of stoppage of action or progress. To prevent is to stop something effectually by forestalling action and rendering it impossible:to prevent the sending of a message.To hamper is to clog or entangle or put an embarrassing restraint upon:to hamper preparations for a trip.To hinder is to keep back by delaying or stopping progress or action:to hinder the progress of an expedition.To impede is to make difficult the movement or progress of anything by interfering with its proper functioning:to impede a discussion by demanding repeated explanations.
- 1. help, assist.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
prevent /prɪˈvɛnt/ vb
'prevent' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aback
- additive
- alpha-blocker
- amethyst
- and
- anticoagulant
- anticonvulsant
- antimacassar
- antiperspirant
- antitrust
- antivirus
- apple-pie bed
- armour
- aspirin
- avert
- avoid
- balk
- bar
- bard
- barrier-nurse
- bell jar
- bind
- blinders
- blindfold
- blinkers
- block
- block out
- boundary rider
- box
- buoy
- Buteyko method
- calk
- cancel
- cattle-grid
- cattle-stop
- caulk
- chaff
- chock
- choke
- ciclosporin
- circuit breaker
- close down
- condom
- contain
- contraceptive
- copper-bottomed
- counterterrorism
- countervailing duty
- cover crop
- cowl