Etymologically
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prevention

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɹɪˈvɛnʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English prevencioun, borrowed from Middle French prévention or praeventio (“a going before, anticipating”),[2][3][4] a noun of action from praevenīre (“to come before, anticipate”) (see prevent).[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The action of stopping something from happening: the mid-15th century in Etymonline,[4] late Middle English in SOED.[2]

Semantic evolution

Early senses kept the Latin idea of coming before: the action of one thing before another (1544), action in anticipation of the expected time (1571) and forestalling another person (1582), all now obsolete.[5][4] In canon law prevention was a superior's right to act before an inferior in a case (1528), and in Scots law a similar right of a superior judge.[5] Action meant to guard against an expected danger is from 1600, and keeping something from happening by measures taken in advance from 1661, the 1660s in Etymonline.[5][4] The proverb prevention is better than cure sums up the modern sense.[6]

Timeline

  • 1528 – in canon law, the right to act first.[5]
  • 1544 – a coming before (obsolete).[5]
  • 1600 – action against an anticipated danger.[5]
  • 1661 – keeping something from happening.[5][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act of preventing something or stopping it from happening: crime prevention.
  2. A hindrance or obstacle.

Word family

  • chemoprevention
  • nonprevention

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins