• IPA: /pɹɪˈvɛnt/
• (weak vowel) IPA: /pɹəˈvɛnt/

prevent (prevents, present participle preventing; past and past participle prevented)

1. (transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something). [from 16th c.]

   I brush my teeth regularly to prevent them from turning yellow.

2. (intransitive, now, rare) To take preventative measures. [from 16th c.]
   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew

     ‘I think you must be mad, and she shall not have a glimpse of it while I'm here to prevent!’

3. (obsolete, transitive) To come before; to precede. [16th-18th c.]
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, 1 Thessalonians 4:15 ↗:

     We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

   • We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.

   • Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.

4. (obsolete, transitive) To outdo, surpass. [16th-17th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.i:

     With that he put his spurres vnto his steed, / With speare in rest, and toward him did fare, / Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed.

5. (obsolete, transitive) To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
   • 1703, Alexander Pope, transl., “The Thebais of Statius”, in The Works of Alexander Pope, London: H. Lintont et al., published 1751:

     their ready guilt preventing thy commands

• See also Thesaurus:hinder

• French: empêcher
• German: verhindern, vorbeugen
• Italian: impedire, prevenire
• Portuguese: impedir, prevenir
• Russian: предотвраща́ть
• Spanish: impedir, prevenir