prevent

verb
UK: /prɪˈvent/
US: /prɪˈvɛnt/

  1. To stop something from happening before it occurs.

    1. We must prevent accidents. [ ] [ ]
    2. Good habits can help prevent many serious diseases and health problems. [ ] [ ]

  2. To keep someone from doing something.

    1. I can't prevent you from going. [ ] [ ]
    2. The heavy rain prevented them from enjoying their picnic in the park. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

forestall avoid stop hinder deter preclude avert

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "prevent" in English means: To stop something from happening before it occurs., To keep someone from doing something..

The phonetic transcription of "prevent" is /prɪˈvent/ in British English and /prɪˈvɛnt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "prevent": forestall, avoid, stop, hinder, deter, preclude, avert.

Example usage of "prevent": "We must prevent accidents.". More examples on the page.