precaution
pree-KAW-shuhn
/prɪˈkɔː.ʃən/
A measure taken in advance to prevent something dangerous, unpleasant, or inconvenient from happening.
Focuses on the 'before' aspect—actions taken while everything is still fine to keep it that way.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'praecavere', where 'prae' means 'before' and 'cavere' means 'to beware' or 'guard'. It is the same root as 'caution'.
Word relationships
- safeguard: A safeguard is often a permanent system; a precaution is an action taken for a specific risk.
- carelessness: Failure to give sufficient attention to avoiding harm or errors.
Commonly confused with
- prevention: Prevention is the goal; precaution is the specific action taken to reach that goal.
Word family
- precautionary (adjective): Taken as a precaution.
Collocations
- take precautions
- safety precaution
- extra precaution
- precautionary measure
Example sentences
- "As a precaution, all visitors must wear hard hats and high-visibility vests on the construction site." Workplace Safety
- "The doctor advised taking the medicine with food as a precaution against stomach upset." Health
Memory hook
PRE (before) + CAUTION: Being cautious before anything happens. Beware before.
When not to use
Don't use 'precaution' for actions taken after an accident has occurred; that would be 'remediation' or 'response'.
Fun facts
- The 'Precautionary Principle' is a strategy in policy-making that suggests if an action has a risk of causing harm, one should avoid it even if scientific proof is not yet certain.
Related words
Explore more words
prophylactic, forestall, prudent, anticipate, preservation, apprehensive
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