precaution C2 Topic:War & Conflict US /pɹiːˈkɔːʃən/ UK /pɹiːˈkɔː.ʃən/ See IPA manual Freq #10781 Meanings 1 noun a precautionary measure warding off impending danger, damage or injury I put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution. 2 noun Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good. His life was saved by precaution. 3 noun A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act. To take precautions against risks of accident. 4 noun the trait of practicing caution in advance Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a precautionary measure... guard More forecaution Word family Derived forms overprecautionprecautionalprecautionaryunprecautioned Related forms prevention 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. Topics War & Conflict External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # precaution **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /pɹiːˈkɔːʃən/ **IPA (UK):** /pɹiːˈkɔː.ʃən/ **Frequency rank:** 10781 ## Meanings 1. a precautionary measure warding off impending danger, damage or injury 2. Previous caution or care; caution previously employed to prevent misfortune or to secure good. 3. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act. 4. the trait of practicing caution in advance ## Examples - I put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution. - His life was saved by precaution. - To take precautions against risks of accident. ## Synonyms - forecaution ## Derived Forms - overprecaution - precautional - precautionary - unprecautioned ## Related Forms - prevention ## 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. ## Topics - War & Conflict markdown