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Webster 1913 Edition

Precaution

Pre-cau′tion

,
Noun.
[F.
précation
, L.
praecautio
, fr.
praecavere
,
praecautum
, to guard against beforehand;
prae
before +
cavere
be on one’s guard. See
Pre-
, and
Caution
.]
1.
Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent mischief or secure good;
as, his life was saved by
precaution
.
They [ancient philosophers] treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable
precaution
.
J. H. Newman.
2.
A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act;
as, to take
precautions
against accident
.

Pre-cau′tion

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. F.
précautionner
.]
1.
To warn or caution beforehand.
Locke.
2.
To take precaution against.
[R.]
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Precaution

PRECAU'TION

,
Noun.
[L. precautus, proecaveo; proe, before,and caveo, to take care.] Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent mischief or secure good in possession.

PRECAU'TION

,
Verb.
T.
To warn or advise beforehand for preventing mischief or securing good.

Definition 2024

precaution

precaution

See also: précaution

English

Noun

precaution ‎(plural precautions)

  1. Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent mischief or secure good; as, his life was saved by precaution.
    • John Henry Newman
      The ancient philosophers treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable precaution.
  2. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act.
    to take precautions against risks of accident

Derived terms

See also

Translations

Verb

precaution ‎(third-person singular simple present precautions, present participle precautioning, simple past and past participle precautioned)

  1. (transitive): To warn or caution beforehand. --Locke.
  2. (transitive, rare): To take precaution against. --John Dryden.

Translations

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.

Pronunciation

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