prevented

Prevented is the past tense and past participle of the verb prevent. It denotes the act of stopping something from happening, hindering a process, or making an undesirable outcome unlikely through actions taken in advance. When something is prevented, a potential problem is avoided rather than merely observed.

Etymology: Prevent derives from Old French prevenir, from Latin praevenire meaning "to come before" or "to anticipate" (prae- "before" + venire "to come"). The modern form entered English in the Middle English period through French borrowing.

Usage: Prevented is typically followed by a from-clause, as in prevent someone from doing something. It can also be used in the passive voice: "The incident was prevented by safety measures." In many contexts it implies deliberate action, such as vaccination preventing disease or infrastructure upgrades preventing damage.

Related terms include prevention (the noun form), preventive or preventive strategies, and preemption or avert as synonyms in certain contexts. The choice between prevent and deter depends on whether the emphasis is on stopping a specific action vs. discouraging a course of events.