prevent meaning and examples

Meaning

Prevent means to stop something from happening or to make it impossible for someone to do something. It is about taking action in advance to avoid an event or outcome.

Grammar and Usage

• Part of speech: Verb

• Verb type: Transitive (takes an object)

• Typical structures:

  • prevent + noun
  • prevent + noun + from + -ing

Examples:

• "prevent crime"
• "prevent someone from entering"

Common Phrases

• prevent crime
• prevent accidents
• prevent damage
• prevent someone from doing something
• prevent spread of disease

Collocations

• Verb + prevent: help prevent, aim to prevent, try to prevent
• Noun + prevent: law prevents, rule prevents, barrier prevents
• Adverb + prevent: effectively prevent, completely prevent, hardly prevent

Examples

1. Regular exercise can help prevent heart disease.
2. The new law aims to prevent accidents on the road.
3. The security guard prevented the thief from escaping.
4. Vaccination helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
5. His injury prevented him from playing in the final match.
6. Careful planning can prevent costly mistakes.
7. The heavy rain prevented us from going on a picnic.
8. Safety measures were introduced to prevent fire hazards.

Synonyms or Related

• stop
• hinder
• block
• prohibit
• deter
• avert