Prevent meaning
To keep from happening; avert.
Took steps to prevent the strike.
verb
To keep (a person or thing) from doing something; impede.
Prevented us from winning; prevented the disease from spreading.
verb
Book of Common Prayer.
We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.
verb
Prior.
Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.
verb
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Prevent is defined as to stop something from happening.
An example of prevent is to seat students a couple of desks away from one another to stop them from copying each other's responses on an exam.
verb
To present an obstacle.
There will be a picnic if nothing prevents.
verb
To stop or keep (from doing something)
verb
To keep from happening; make impossible by prior action; hinder.
verb
To interpose an obstacle.
verb
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Origin of prevent
- Middle English preventen to anticipate from Latin praevenīre praevent- prae- pre- venīre to come gwā- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English preventen (“anticipate"), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniÅ (“anticipate"), from prae (“before") + veniÅ (“come").
From Wiktionary