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Glite Dictionary
to prevent

to prevent

∞ 2.3
Stop something from happening or someone from doing it
  • verb
  • /prɪˈvɛnt/
translation icon : impedir
  • Measures were taken to prevent any further accidents at the construction site.
  • prevent the spread
  • help prevent
  • efforts to prevent

We have been able to prevent any third World War.

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Examples

  • We have been able to prevent any third World War.

    Stanford

  • Over the past year, the coalition has made preventing civilian casualties a top priority.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Oh, and you see it as your duty to prevent that, do you?

    Conclave (2024)

  • What check, if any, is there on this power to prevent their abuse?

  • The whole thing is designed to prevent a forced entry into that control room.

    The China Syndrome (1979)

  • This, I think, is the best way to prevent HIV right here.

  • We combat and prevent HIV and AIDS.

    Harvard University

  • Saxton asked how the United States could prevent this from ever happening again.

    Academic text (2011)

  • About 75% of child hospital admissions could be prevented with better primary care.

    Academic text (2011)

  • One of the key aims of the model is to prevent local authority foster placement breakdown.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

to stop
vsto prevent
∞ 1.0

To make something end and not continue

acts earlier to block things before they begin rather than ending them
to keep
vsto prevent
∞ 1.0

To protect someone or something from harm

stops acts or events rather than maintaining ongoing protection
to avoid
vsto prevent
∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

stops events even when people do not take the safe action
to prohibit
vsto prevent
299 3.3

To officially say that something is not allowed by law

stops acts but not always through legal authority
to discourage
vsto prevent
257 3.5

To try to stop something by making people less willing to do it

stops actions possibly through other direct means not by lowering confidence
to suppress
vsto prevent
176 4.8

To stop public protest by force or by people in power

stops things but not necessarily by force or official means
to keep out
vsto prevent
172 1.3

To stop people or things from entering a place

stops events generally rather than only blocking physical entry
to deter
vsto prevent
94 5.6

Make someone less likely to do something by making them fear bad results

stops behaviour but not always by warning of bad outcomes
to thwart
vsto prevent
87 7.4

To stop someone from doing what they want

stops outcomes but not always by opposing a person's aims
to restrain
vsto prevent
72 4.6

Keep strong feelings under control so you do not act on them

stops acts broadly not only by controlling internal impulses
to forbid
vsto prevent
60 2.8

Stop something from happening

stops outcomes but need not make them impossible
to preclude
vsto prevent
55 7.2

To stop something from happening or make it impossible

stops events but may not make them impossible
to stifle
vsto prevent
49 5.3

To hold back a feeling or reaction so it does not show

stops external events as well as inner reactions
to dissuade
vsto prevent
35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

stops actions by force or rule rather than through persuasion
to inhibit
vsto prevent
30 5.4

Stop or make something less likely to happen

stops events completely rather than only limiting them
to forestall
vsto prevent
17 7.1

Act early to stop a problem from happening

stops things but may act after they begin
to repress
vsto prevent
12 6.1

Stop a process or action from happening

stops events but may not act inside processes or emotions
to put a lid on
vsto prevent
  • US
9 6.4

To stop something from continuing or becoming known

stops things but not always with the sense of hiding or limiting publicity
to foreclose
vsto prevent
  • Formal
8 7.9

To stop something from happening or make it impossible

blocks events yet may leave a small chance
to obviate
vsto prevent
  • Formal
5 9.1

Prevent a problem or need by acting before it happens

stops results but may not remove future causes
to obstruct someone's plans
vsto prevent
5.6

To stop someone on purpose from doing what they planned

stops events broadly not only personal plans

Antonyms

to let
∞ 1.0

Allow someone to do something or something to happen

to allow
∞ 1.0

To let something happen or let someone do something

to facilitate
  • Formal
187 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

Phrasal Verbs

to prevent erosion
1 3.6

Stop soil from washing or blowing away

to prevent spam
  • Texting
1 3.3

To stop unwanted messages like junk email from reaching your inbox

How Effective

to eliminate
  • NSFW
502 3.4
stop
310 1.0
to prevent
∞ 2.3
to deter
94 5.6
to impede
35 6.5
to hinder
75 3.6
to discourage
257 3.5

Surface Forms

prevent infinitive
prevented past
prevented past participle
preventing present participle
prevents third person singular

Morphology

prevent = vent (opaque) = pre + vent

Although analyzable as Latin pre- + ven- (come), the element 'vent' is not a productive English base meaning 'come', so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Prevent comes from the parts pre- ('before') and venire ('to come'), the same root in event, a thing that 'happens'. So to prevent something is to 'come before' it and stop it from happening.