preventive

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: pre=ven=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

preventive, a. [Cf. F. préventif.].

•  Going before; preceding.  [1913 Webster]

  "Any previous counsel or preventive understanding."  [1913 Webster]
•  Tending to defeat or hinder; obviating; preventing the access of; as, a medicine preventive of disease.  [1913 Webster]

  "Physic is either curative or preventive."  [1913 Webster]

Preventive service, the duty performed by the armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. [Eng]

preventive, n. 

 That which prevents, hinders, or obstructs; that which intercepts access; in medicine, something to prevent disease; a prophylactic.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

preventive, adj. & n.
--adj. serving to prevent, esp. preventing disease, breakdown, etc. (preventive medicine; preventive maintenance).
--n. a preventive agent, measure, drug, etc.

Idiom

preventive detention the imprisonment of a criminal for corrective training etc.

Derivative

preventively adv.

THESAURUS

preventive

aegis, antacid, anticipative, anticipatory, antidote, arm guard, backstop, barrier, block, buffer, bulwark, bumper, contraceptive, copyright, counteractant, counteractive, counteragent, counterirritant, countermeasure, covering, crash helmet, curb, cushion, custodial, dashboard, defensive, deterrent, deterring, discouraging, dodger, ethnocentric, exceptional, excluding, exclusive, exclusory, face mask, fender, finger guard, foot guard, forbidding, forestalling, fostering, fuse, goggles, governor, guard, guardian, guarding, guardrail, hampering, hand guard, handrail, hard hat, helmet, hindering, hindrance, immunizing, impediment, impeding, inadmissible, inhibiting, inhibition, inhibitive, inhibitory, inoculant, inoculum, insular, insulation, interdictive, interdictory, interlock, knee guard, knuckle guard, laminated glass, life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, mask, mudguard, narrow, neutralizer, nose guard, nullifier, obstacle, obstruction, offset, pad, padding, palladium, parental, parochial, patent, pilot, precautionary, preclusive, prescriptive, preventative, prevention, prohibiting, prohibitive, prohibitory, prophylactic, proscriptive, protecting, protection, protective, protective clothing, protective umbrella, remedy, repressive, restraining, restrictive, safeguard, safeguarding, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, screen, screening, seat belt, seclusive, segregative, select, selective, separative, serum, sheltering, shield, shielding, shin guard, snobbish, sun helmet, suppressive, tutelary, umbrella, vaccine, vigilant, watchful, windscreen, windshield, xenophobic

ROGET THESAURUS

preventive

Hindrance

N hindrance, prevention, preclusion, obstruction, stoppage, embolus, embolism, infarct, interruption, interception, interclusion, hindrance, impedition, retardment, retardation, embarrassment, oppilation, coarctation, stricture, restriction, restraint, inhibition, blockade, interference, interposition, obtrusion, discouragement, discountenance, impediment, let, obstacle, obstruction, knot, knag, check, hitch, contretemps, screw loose, grit in the oil, bar, stile, barrier, turnstile, turnpike, gate, portcullis, beaver dam, trocha, barricade, wall, dead wall, sea wall, levee breakwater, groyne, bulkhead, block, buffer, stopper, boom, dam, weir, burrock, drawback, objection, stumbling-block, stumbling-stone, lion in the path, snag, snags and sawyers, encumbrance, incumbrance, clog, skid, shoe, spoke, drag, drag chain, drag weight, stay, stop, preventive, prophylactic, load, burden, fardel, onus, millstone round one's neck, impedimenta, dead weight, lumber, pack, nightmare, Ephialtes, incubus, old man of the sea, remora, difficulty, insuperable, obstacle, estoppel, ill wind, head wind, trammel, tether, hold back, counterpoise, damper, wet blanket, hinderer, marplot, killjoy, party pooper, party crasher, interloper, trail of a red herring, opponent, hindering, obstructive, obstruent, impeditive, impedient, intercipient, prophylactic, impedimentary, in the way of, unfavorable, onerous, burdensome, cumbrous, cumbersome, obtrusive, hindered, windbound, waterlogged, heavy laden, hard pressed, unassisted &c (assist), single-handed, alone, deserted, occurrent nubes.