What is the meaning of prevent?

verb

  • Keep from happening or arising; make impossible.
    • usage: "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
  • Stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state.
    • usage: "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). prevent. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/prevent/definitions/1303836
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "prevent" http://smartdefine.org/prevent/definitions/1303836 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, prevent, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/prevent/definitions/1303836>.
MLAWordNet. "prevent" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/prevent/definitions/1303836>
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