Prevenible

Prevenible is an adjective used in Spanish (and cognate in Portuguese as prevenível) to describe something that can be prevented or avoided. It derives from the verb prevenir, from Latin praevenire, meaning to anticipate or ward off. The term is commonly applied to events or outcomes judged to be avoidable through appropriate action, policy, or behavior.

In public health, preventable is used to classify illnesses or deaths that could be avoided with timely medical care, vaccination, lifestyle changes, or early detection. In safety and risk management, preventable accidents are those that could have been prevented through proper training, maintenance, compliance with safety standards, or hazard controls. In criminology or policy discussions, preventable harms refer to outcomes that could be mitigated by preventive measures.

Examples include smoking-related diseases, which are often described as preventable; many road traffic injuries are preventable through enforcement of traffic laws, seat belts, and safer vehicle design; infectious diseases can be prevented by vaccination and sanitation. In environmental planning, preventable damage from natural hazards may be reduced by risk mitigation and resilient infrastructure.

See also: preventable harm, disease prevention, public health, safety management, risk mitigation.