préventive

Préventive is a French adjective meaning intended to prevent something or to avert future problems. It describes actions, measures, or forms of care designed to stop harm before it occurs. The term is widely used in health, safety, and maintenance, appearing in phrases such as mesures préventives, médecine préventive, and maintenance préventive.

Etymology and grammar: préventive comes from Latin praevenire “to come before.” It agrees with the noun it modifies: préventif (masc.), préventive (fem.), préventifs (masc. plural), préventives (fem. plural).

Contexts and examples: In public health, preventive approaches include prévention primaire. In industry, preventive maintenance programs aim to reduce equipment failures and downtime. In safety planning, measures are described as préventives to minimize risk. The term is often contrasted with curatif (curative) or with actions taken after an event. In everyday French, préventive is common in formal or institutional language and in technical writing. See also prévention or prévention primaire, which refer to the broader concept and strategies for avoiding harm.