From Middle English averten, adverten, from Old French avertir, from Latin āvertere, present active infinitive of āvertō, from ab + vertō ("to turn").

• (America) IPA: /əˈvɝt/
• (RP) IPA: /əˈvɜːt/

avert (averts, present participle averting; simple past and past participle averted)

1. (transitive) To turn aside or away.

   I averted my eyes while my friend typed in her password.

   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Unity in Religion”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC ↗:

     When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

2. (transitive) To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.

   Synonyms: forestall

   How can the danger be averted?

   • 1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700:

     Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.

3. (intransitive, archaic) To turn away.
   • a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC ↗:

     Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.

• See Thesaurus:hinder

• French: détourner
• German: abwenden
• Italian: distogliere
• Russian: отводи́ть
• Spanish: apartar

• French: prévenir
• German: abwenden, verhindern
• Italian: evitare
• Russian: отража́ть
• Spanish: evitar