Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of preventing something.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of going before; the state of preceding or being earlier; hence, an antecedent period of time.
  • noun The act of anticipating or forestalling; an anticipation; provision made in advance.
  • noun Precaution; a precautionary measure; a preventive.
  • noun The act of hindering or rendering impossible by previous measures; effectual hindrance; restraint, as from an intended action; also, that which prevents; an obstacle; an obstruction or impediment.
  • noun Jurisdiction.
  • noun Prejudice; prepossession.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete The act of going, or state of being, before.
  • noun obsolete Anticipation; esp., anticipation of needs or wishes; hence, precaution; forethought.
  • noun The act of preventing or hindering; obstruction of action, access, or approach; thwarting.
  • noun A Gallicism Prejudice; prepossession.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete The act of going, or state of being, before.
  • noun obsolete Anticipation; esp., anticipation of needs, wishes, hazards and risks ; hence, precaution; forethought. --Hammond. Shak.
  • noun The act of preventing or hindering; obstruction of action, access, or approach; thwarting. --South.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of preventing

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Compare French prévention

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