precaution
UK /pɹiːˈkɔː.ʃən/ · US /pɹiːˈkɔ.ʃən/ noun, verb
Forms precautions precautioning precautioned
- noun Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good. “his life was saved by precaution”
- noun A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act. “to take precautions against risks of accident”
- verb (transitive) To warn or caution beforehand.
- verb (transitive, rare) To take precaution against.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French précaution, Latin praecautio, from praecavere, praecautum (“to guard against beforehand”); prae (“before”) + cavere (“be on one's guard”). See pre-, and caution.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent mischief or secure good; as, his life was saved by precaution.
- noun A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act; as, to take precautions against accident.
- verb To warn or caution beforehand. Locke.
- verb To take precaution against. [R.] Dryden.
Etymology [F. précation, L. praecautio, fr. praecavere, praecautum, to guard against beforehand; prae before + cavere be on one's guard. See Pre-, and Caution.]
Etymology [Cf. F. précautionner.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “precaution”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details