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prevent meaning

EN[pɹɪˈvɛnt]
US
WPrevent
  • VerbSGpreventsPRpreventingPT, PPpreventedPREpré-SUF-ent
    1. VT To stop; to keep (from happening).
      1. I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.
    2. VI (now rare) To take preventative measures.
      1. OBS VT To come before; to precede.
        1. OBS VT To outdo, surpass.
          1. OBS VT To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
          2. More Examples
            1. Used in the Middle of Sentence
              • I brushed my teeth to prevent them from going yellow.
              • Although the enemy saw that they were being hurt, they were such mad dogs that we could by no means prevent their pursuing us
              • His timidiness prevented him from challenging authority or asking his boss for a raise.

          Meaning of prevent for the defined word.

          Grammatically, this word "prevent" is a verb, more specifically, an intransitive verb and a transitive verb.
          • Part-of-Speech Hierarchy
            1. Verbs
              • Intransitive verbs
                • Transitive verbs
              Difficultness: Level 1
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              Easy     ➨     Difficult
              Definiteness: Level 7
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              Definite    ➨     Versatile
              Related Links:
              1. en prevented
              2. en preventing
              3. en prevention
              4. en preventive
              5. en preventable
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