prevent

Etymology

From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“I come”).

verb

  1. (transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
    I brush my teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.
    Scotland must now hope Georgia produce a huge upset and beat Argentina by at least eight points in Sunday's final Pool B match to prevent them failing to make the last eight for the first time in World Cup history. October 1, 2011, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport
  2. (intransitive, now rare) To take preventative measures.
  3. (obsolete, transitive) To come before; to precede.
  4. (obsolete, transitive) To outdo, surpass.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.

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