precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən 
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
warned of the need for precaution
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good : safeguard
take the necessary precautions
precautionary
pri-ˈkȯ-shə-ˌner-ē
adjective 
Synonyms
- caution
- fail-safe
- palladium
- preventive
- safeguard
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions when cooking outdoors. When driving, she always wears her seatbelt as a precaution. Every home owner should take precautions against fire. She took the precaution of packing extra medicine for the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web The six-week-old bird was lowered and carefully extracted by Bedrosian’s colleague, Charles Preston, a zip tie around its feet as a precaution against inch-long talons. 
Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022 The six-week-old bird was lowered and carefully extracted by Bedrosian’s colleague, Charles Preston, a zip tie around its feet as a precaution against inch-long talons. Matthew Brown, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2022 The 6-week-old bird was lowered and carefully extracted by Preston, a zip tie around its feet as a precaution against talons more than an inch long. Fox News, 17 Aug. 2022 The military continued its vaccination program until 1991 as a precaution against a bioterrorism attack. New York Times, 26 May 2022 Ahead of the storms, schools in Memphis and dozens in Mississippi closed early or conducted classes online as a precaution against having children in crowded buildings or on buses. NBC News, 31 Mar. 2022 Michigan's statewide tornado drill set for 1 p.m. Wednesday has been canceled as a precaution against the threat of an actual severe weather. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2022 Authorities have started to hand out the iodine pills as a precaution to people living within 35 miles of the plant. Marc Santora, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 This way, getting sick becomes a personal failure—people must not have washed their hands, or missed some precaution. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 26 Aug. 2022 See More
Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022 The six-week-old bird was lowered and carefully extracted by Bedrosian’s colleague, Charles Preston, a zip tie around its feet as a precaution against inch-long talons. Matthew Brown, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2022 The 6-week-old bird was lowered and carefully extracted by Preston, a zip tie around its feet as a precaution against talons more than an inch long. Fox News, 17 Aug. 2022 The military continued its vaccination program until 1991 as a precaution against a bioterrorism attack. New York Times, 26 May 2022 Ahead of the storms, schools in Memphis and dozens in Mississippi closed early or conducted classes online as a precaution against having children in crowded buildings or on buses. NBC News, 31 Mar. 2022 Michigan's statewide tornado drill set for 1 p.m. Wednesday has been canceled as a precaution against the threat of an actual severe weather. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2022 Authorities have started to hand out the iodine pills as a precaution to people living within 35 miles of the plant. Marc Santora, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 This way, getting sick becomes a personal failure—people must not have washed their hands, or missed some precaution. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 26 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French précaution, from Late Latin praecaution-, praecautio, from Latin praecavēre to guard against, from prae- + cavēre to be on one's guard — more at hear
First Known Use
1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion pri-ˈkȯ-shən
: something done beforehand to prevent harm or trouble or bring about good results
You should take precautions against fire.
precautionary
adjective
as in preventive
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening prior to the game, we moved the furniture out of the way as a precautionary measure Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- preventive
- preventative
- prophylactic
- deterrent
- blocking
- deterring
- neutralizing
- frustrating
- negating
- baffling
- nullifying
- thwarting
- retardant
- hampering
- hindering
- impeding
- balking
- foiling
- stalling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- assisting
- aiding
- facilitating
- encouraging
- smoothing
- easing
- nurturing
- promoting
- forwarding
- fostering
- abetting
- furthering
- clean-up fund
- cleanabilities
- cleanability
- cleanable
- cleanabler
- cleanablest
- cleaned
- cleaned (off)
- cleaned (out)
- cleaned (up)
- cleaned house
- cleaned off
- cleaned out
- cleaned up
- cleaned up one's act
- cleaner
- cleaner fish
- cleaner tooth
- cleaner wrasse
- cleaner-up
- cleaners
- cleaners-up
- cleanest
- cleanhanded
- cleaning