precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən 
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
warned of the need for precaution
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good : safeguard
take the necessary precautions
Examples of precaution in a Sentence
Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions when cooking outdoors.
When driving, she always wears her seatbelt as a precaution.
Every home owner should take precautions against fire.
She took the precaution of packing extra medicine for the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.
—
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Authorities are urging South Floridians to take precautions Wednesday as another hot and humid day settles across the region, with temperatures climbing to around 90 degrees and heat index values reaching the mid-to-upper 90s, and potentially 100 degrees in some neighborhoods.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 10 June 2026
That means there are precautions that expectant fathers can take that don’t involve testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
—Keith Wagstaff, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Meanwhile, officials have urged residents to take precautions such as locking their doors and windows to prevent bears entering their homes, and to avoid putting their trash out at night.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Authorities are urging South Floridians to take precautions Wednesday as another hot and humid day settles across the region, with temperatures climbing to around 90 degrees and heat index values reaching the mid-to-upper 90s, and potentially 100 degrees in some neighborhoods.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 10 June 2026
That means there are precautions that expectant fathers can take that don’t involve testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
—Keith Wagstaff, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Meanwhile, officials have urged residents to take precautions such as locking their doors and windows to prevent bears entering their homes, and to avoid putting their trash out at night.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or to bring about a good result
take precautions against fire
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
