Definition

In a way that stops something from happening before it occurs.

Example

The doctor recommended getting vaccinated preventively to avoid illness.

Conversation

I decided to get a flu shot this year.

That's smart! It's always better to be safe.

Yeah, I think it's good to do it preventively before the season hits hard.

Absolutely! It can save you from getting really sick later.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Preventively → It is formed from "prevent" (from Latin "praevenire", meaning to come before) and "-ively" (a suffix forming adverbs). The word "preventively" means in a manner that comes before to stop something from happening.

Memory Tip

Think of doing something 'before' ('praevenire') to stop it from happening — that's what preventively means.

Visually Confused Words