Words / B2

pri-VENSHUN/prɪˈvenʃn/

Prevention is the act of stopping something from happening (usually uncountable): prevention of falls; crime prevention. Prevent is the verb (already in the dictionary); precaution is a step you take (already elsewhere). Prevention of falls featured in the inspection. Mix-up: intervention (stepping in after); prediction. Do not write “a prevention” as a countable gadget.

Meaning

The act of stopping something from happening (usually uncountable).

Examples

• “Prevention of falls featured in the care-home inspection, not a slogan only.”
• “Flood prevention still needs a named scheme on the map, which is the planning sense.”

Good to know

prevention of + noun; crime / flood / disease prevention. Verb: prevent. Close: precaution. Uncountable. H&S, geography, and news. Stopping it beforehand, not a gadget.

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