precautionary

adjective

Definition of precautionarynext
as in preventative
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of precautionary What started as an unnecessary, but precautionary full-body MRI that checks for more than 500 conditions ended up saving Philipps’ life. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 The Dolphins opted to keep him out of the game for precautionary reasons. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 In 1991 the commission set a precautionary threshold of 620,000 tons on the annual catch of krill across a region known as Area 48, which extends from the Antarctic Peninsula across the Scotia Sea. — Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 South Fulton officials said the closure was precautionary while the city coordinated with county health officials. — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 After the school received the threat, Colleyville police with the assistance of Grapevine police began a precautionary investigation. — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2026 Mason Mount went off injured in the first half yesterday, a substitution Carrick said was precautionary after a kick. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 As an obstetrician/gynecologist familiar with other Lynch risks, Norton also decided to have a precautionary hysterectomy. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 While officials say the measures are purely precautionary and not prompted by structural concerns, preservation experts have questioned whether the potential impact on nearby cultural sites has been fully assessed. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
  1. preventative
  2. preventive
Adjective
  • Kaliush says laying out a plan to get enough sleep before the baby comes is an enormously helpful preventative step.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Many health systems have started to adopt social prescribing not only as a complement to medical treatment, but as a preventative approach to reduce the need for more intensive care.
    — Grant Oliphant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of preventative
Adjective
  • The Elgin Township 708 Mental Health Board is providing $437,000 for a pilot program to provide preventive measures and early intervention care at five schools in School District U-46.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Use a mobile health unit, home-health infrastructure, telehealth, maternal-health specialists, and community partnerships to expand maternal preventive care and care coordination.
    — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of preventive

Browse Nearby Words

precaution
precautionary
precautions
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Cite this Entry

“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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