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prevent

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verb [transitive] British English pronunciation: prevent /prɪˈvent/ 
Word Forms
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present tense
I/you/we/theyprevent
he/she/itprevents
present participlepreventing
past tenseprevented
past participleprevented
 
  1. 1
    to stop something from happening

    Regular cleaning may help prevent infection.

    If necessary, add a little water to prevent sticking.

    prevent something (from) happening:

    Rubber seals are fitted to prevent gas from escaping.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  preventThesaurus entry for this meaning of prevent
  2. 2
    to stop someone from doing something

    We tried to prevent her, but she was determined to go.

    prevent someone (from) doing something:

    The owner is prevented by law from making any major changes.

    She was sure the noise would prevent her sleeping at night.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  preventThesaurus entry for this meaning of prevent

This is the British English definition of prevent. View American English definition of prevent.

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