averting

Averting is the gerund form of the verb avert, used to describe the act of turning away or preventing something undesirable from happening. The term can denote a literal act of turning one’s gaze or attention away from something, as in averting one’s eyes, as well as a figurative act of preventing or forestalling harm, danger, or an adverse outcome.

In the sense of prevention, averting involves actions taken to reduce risk, mitigate harm, or delay and counteract negative events. This may include early warning, safety measures, policy interventions, behavioral changes, or preventive technologies. Averting disasters or crises is a common focus in fields such as risk management, public health, emergency preparedness, and environmental planning. Effective averting often relies on foresight, planning, and coordinated responses rather than reactive measures alone.

Common phrases include avert a crisis, avert a disaster, or avert injury, as well as avert one’s gaze or eyes. The term is closely related to synonyms such as prevent, forestall, dodge, and avoid, though averting emphasizes the proactive act of steering away from a potential outcome rather than merely removing oneself from a situation.

Ethically and practically, averting harm is a central concern in many professional and personal contexts. Debates may arise around the proportionality, feasibility, and distribution of efforts and resources dedicated to averting certain outcomes, especially when trade-offs are involved.

See also: risk management, disaster risk reduction, prevention, mitigation.