1. prevent(v = verb.social) forbid, foreclose, forestall, preclude - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
Derived forms adjective preventative1, adjective preventive2
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something
2. prevent(v = verb.social) keep - stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"
Antonym: let
Derived forms adjective preventative1, noun prevention1, adjective preventive2
Sample sentences:
They prevent him from writing the letter
1. To go before; to precede; hence, to go before as a guide; to direct. [1913 Webster]
"We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." [1913 Webster]
"We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us." [1913 Webster]
"Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen." [1913 Webster]
2. To be beforehand with; to anticipate. [1913 Webster]
"Their ready guilt preventing thy commands." [1913 Webster]
3. To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart. Shak. [1913 Webster]
"Perhaps forestalling night prevented them." [1913 Webster]
To come before the usual time. [1913 Webster]
"Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early." [1913 Webster]
prevent, v.tr.
1 (often foll. by from + verbal noun) stop from happening or doing something; hinder; make impossible (the weather prevented me from going).
2 archaic go or arrive before, precede.
Derivative:
preventable adj. (also preventible). preventability n. (also preventibility). preventer n. prevention n.
Etymology:
ME = anticipate, f. L praevenire praevent- come before, hinder (as PRAE-, venire come)
VB apply a remedy, doctor, dose, physic, nurse, minister to, attend, dress the wounds, plaster, drain, prevent, relieve, palliate, restore, drench with physic, bleed, cup, let blood, manicure, operate, excise, cut out, incise.
VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.