as in preventive
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
the department in charge of taking preventative measures against international terrorism
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as in insurance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preventative
Charles Taylor, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Snout, to this end, focuses on covering preventative care, and effectively turns vet bills into memberships.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The only preventative right now is treating healthy ash trees with systemic insecticides.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Adjective
Instead, the company argues that proactive, preventative healthcare ought to be available to all.
—Charles Taylor, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Snout, to this end, focuses on covering preventative care, and effectively turns vet bills into memberships.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
Consider using flea and tick preventatives and examine your dog after your hike.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The only preventative right now is treating healthy ash trees with systemic insecticides.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preventative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventative
Adjective
-
One preventive strategy that the International Olympic Committee has been working on is focusing on improving pre-competition assessment of health.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This preventive approach helps stop the cycle of re-victimization that often occurs when harmful content is re-uploaded.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At this point, his diagnosis only matters when our insurance company needs a code to pay for something.—
Coley Gallagher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And Lemon is reportedly not the only one taking these precautions.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preventative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventative. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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