Prevent  To To  Verb Measures Stop Archaic Advance

pre·vent
 \\pri-ˈvent\\ verbtransitive verb
1. archaic
  a. to be in readiness for (as an occasion)
  b. to meet or satisfy in advance
  c. to act ahead of
  d. to go or arrive before
2. to deprive of power or hope of acting or succeeding
3. to keep from happening or existing
    steps to prevent war
4. to hold or keep back : ,  — often used with from
intransitive verb
: to interpose an obstacle
• pre·vent·abil·i·ty  \\-ˌven-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\\ noun
• pre·vent·able also pre·vent·ible  \\-ˈven-tə-bəl\\ adjective
• pre·vent·er noun
Synonyms.
  , ,  mean to deal with beforehand.  implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable
      measures taken to prevent leaks
   may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first
      anticipated the question by making a statement
   implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course
      hoped to forestall the sale

prevent
  early 15c., "to act in anticipation of," from L. præventus, pp. of prævenire "come before, anticipate, hinder," in L.L. also "to prevent," from præ "before" + venire "to come" (see venue). Originally literal; sense of "anticipate to hinder" was in L., but not recorded in English until 1550s. Preventive in the medical sense is recorded from 1640s.

☞ prevent
pre·vent / pri5vent /verb    ~ sb / sth (from doing sth) to stop sb from doing sth; to stop sth from happening
   阻止；阻碍；阻挠:
  ▪ [VN]
   The accident could have been prevented.
   这次事故本来是可以防止的。
   He is prevented by law from holding a licence.
   法律不准他持有执照。
   Nothing would prevent him from speaking out against injustice.
   什么都不能阻止他鸣不平。
  ▪ [VN -ing]
   (BrE) Nothing would prevent him / his speaking out against injustice.
   什么也阻挡不了他为不平之事鸣冤叫屈。
  ▪ [also V -ing]
• pre·vent·able adj.:
   preventable diseases / accidents
   可以防止的疾病/事故

prevent verb

pre·vent
\prēˈvent, prə̇ˈ-\ verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English preventen, from Latin praeventus, past participle of praevenire to precede, anticipate, prevent, from prae- pre- + venire to come — more at 
transitive verb
1.
 a. archaic : to anticipate (as an occasion, an appointed time) by preparation or action : be in readiness for
 b. archaic : to meet or satisfy (as a question, wish, objection) in advance
 c. archaic : to act ahead of (another's action)
 d. archaic : to arrive before : , 
2. archaic : to predispose to repentance and faith by divine grace
3. : to deprive of power or hope of acting, operating, or succeeding in a purpose : , 
 < police officials should not prevent police reporters from obtaining the news — Lou Smyth >
4. : to keep from happening or existing especially by precautionary measures : hinder the progress, appearance, or fulfillment of : make impossible through advance provisions
 < one may prevent feeding problems quite as readily as some physical diseases — M.J.E.Senn >
 < authority … and purposefulness of his manner … prevent the role becoming a minor one — E.R.Bentley >
5. : to hold or keep back (one about to act) : , 
 < had to catch his arm to prevent him falling — Claud Cockburn >
— often used with from
 < there is nothing to prevent us from going >
6. obsolete : to hasten the coming of (an event)
7. obsolete : to take possession of or occupy in advance
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : to act or come before
2. : to make something impossible
 < we shall come if nothing prevents >
Synonyms:
 , :  implies an advance move or provision that blocks the occurrence or possible occurrence of something (as a calamity) or the success of something (as a plan)
  < the surest way to prevent aggression is to remain strong enough to overpower and defeat any who might attack — D.L.Lawrence >
  < medical science knows how to limit these evils and can do much to prevent their destructiveness — C.W.Eliot >
  < we can cure disease or prevent it — W.W.Howells >
   stresses more the foreseeing of something that will or may take place in the future than the provision for handling it or acting appropriately in relation to it
  < one must foresee, anticipate and ratify this suggestion, which will inevitably occur — Juan Gris >
  < my other architectural friends anticipate a great outburst of postwar activity and world-planning — E.M.Forster >
  < she anticipated that he would also become more exacting in his demands on her time — G.B.Shaw >
   can mean to stop something from happening or to intercept and stop something in its course, but more usually stresses not a stopping but a rendering of something ineffective or harmless by forehanded action
  < property owners own out to the edge of the sidewalk, effectively forestalling street widening if they want to — Hal Burton >
  < to forestall every risk and retain every advantage — New Republic >
  < a new warning device to forestall surprise attacks by aircraft — I.I.Rabi >
Synonyms:
 , , , , and  (off) can mean to hinder or stop (something that may occur) or, in the case of  and , to stop (someone about to act, or someone's action)  implies an insurmountable obstacle or impediment
  < measures taken to prevent disease >
  < no war was too serious to prevent frequent truces for meals or festivals — R.A.Billington >
  < by solving it he prevents an innocent man going to the gallows — New Books >
   implies a situation or condition or measures taken that effectively shut out all possibility of a thing's occurring or a person's doing something
  < provide the mechanism to assure that atomic energy is used for peaceful purposes and preclude its use in war — B.M.Baruch >
  < the brevity of his stay would preclude the possibility of his enjoying the school pageant — C.H.Grandgent >
  < in no way precludes them from having a vital and extraordinary power — Montgomery Belgion >
  Whereas  often suggests the operation of chance,  usually implies the use of intelligence or forethought in clearing away (as obstacles) or disposing of (as difficulties)
  < fruits should be washed in order to obviate hazard to the consumer — R.N.Shreve >
  < by reciprocally extending rights and privileges to one another's citizens … they may obviate jealousies and promote the general well-being — F.A.Ogg & P.O.Ray >
  < a single administrator can do much to obviate the confusion which still exists in this field — H.S.Truman >
   and  (off) always imply the anticipation and deflection or prevention of an approaching or oncoming evil, usually by immediate and effective measures,  suggesting more active measures to force back,  (off) implying more defensive measures to avoid or counteract
  < delegates were sent to a peace conference held at Washington in an effort to avert hostilities — American Guide Series: North Carolina >
  < men seeking to avert a revolution they do not understand with weapons they don't know how to wield — H.J.Laski >
  < despite the increased chances for respiratory illness during the winter, there are many things you can do to help ward this off — advt >
  < most of the time he did not feel this, he warded off the possibility of feeling it — Marcia Davenport >

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