[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/preventative/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [P](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/p/) / preventative

# preventative

adjective; noun (a preventative, preventatives) – also «preventive»

«preventative» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Preventative means meant to stop something bad from happening before it starts, such as illness, damage or crime. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#m1)
2. A preventative is something used to prevent a problem, such as a medicine or treatment. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#m2)

### In the lessons

In health and science lessons, «preventative medicine» includes vaccines, healthy eating and brushing teeth. In safety and money lessons, preventative steps (like checking a bike) save trouble later. Phrases: «preventative measures», «preventative medicine», «preventative care», «as a preventative».

### Examples

- Brushing your teeth is a preventative measure against tooth decay. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x1)
- The vet gave the dog a preventative treatment for fleas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x2)
- Vaccines are preventative medicine. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x3)
- We took preventative steps and tied down the trampoline before the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x4)
- Sun cream is a preventative against sunburn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x5)
- Regular check-ups are preventative care. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/#x6)

### Note

«Preventative» and «preventive» mean the same; «preventive» is more common in American English and in science writing. Related: prevent, prevention. Saying "prevention is better than cure" means stopping problems early is better than fixing them later.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «preventative» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preventative/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«preventative» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/preventative.html) on Mova free.