as in preventive
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
the many prophylactic measures that city officials could have taken to reduce the scope of the disaster
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Recent Examples of prophylactic
And he’s got a prophylactic nasal rinse, which, actually, he’s come to sort of like for reasons that don’t have much to do with COVID.
—
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
The authors, many of whom were also part of the current study, noted that the drop coincided with a shift to using seeds with prophylactic insecticides, rather than only spraying crops after an infestation.
—Eliza Grames, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Surgery: People who are at very high risk for breast cancer may choose to have a prophylactic mastectomy (having their breasts removed ).
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 27 Feb. 2025
Two main strategies to eradicate the virus exist: prophylactic vaccines, to prevent initial infection, and therapeutic vaccines, to help people already infected.
—Dr. Tal Patalon, Md, Llb, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prophylactic
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
The authors, many of whom were also part of the current study, noted that the drop coincided with a shift to using seeds with prophylactic insecticides, rather than only spraying crops after an infestation.
—Eliza Grames, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Surgery: People who are at very high risk for breast cancer may choose to have a prophylactic mastectomy (having their breasts removed ).
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 27 Feb. 2025
Two main strategies to eradicate the virus exist: prophylactic vaccines, to prevent initial infection, and therapeutic vaccines, to help people already infected.
—Dr. Tal Patalon, Md, Llb, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prophylactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prophylactic
Adjective
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As the authors noted, the percentage reduction in Covid-19 infection is on par with what has been seen for other preventive measures, such as being up-to-date on Covid vaccines.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Other experts say that, while larger studies are still needed, the new investigation suggests a promising add-on to existing preventive measures, especially for patients already relying on nasal sprays for allergy relief.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The brand’s eye-specific product packs a punch courtesy of antioxidants, fine line–erasing peptides, and Persian silk tree extract (the latter is both a preventative and curative measure against dark circles and puffiness).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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That audit found that while best practices suggest government agencies should spend 30% of facilities maintenance money on repairs and 70% on preventative maintenance projects, San Diego spends 87% of its facilities maintenance money on repairs and only 13% on preventative maintenance.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prophylactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prophylactic. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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