Adjective preventative has 2 senses
  1. preventive, preventative - tending to prevent or hinder
  2. preventive, preventative, prophylactic - preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease; "preventive medicine"; "vaccines are prophylactic"; "a prophylactic drug"
    Antonym: unhealthful (indirect, via healthful)
,Noun preventative has 3 senses
  1. preventive, preventative, prophylactic - remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease; "the doctor recommended several preventatives"
    --1 is a kind of remedy, curative, cure
  2. hindrance, hitch, preventive, preventative, encumbrance, incumbrance, interference - any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome
    --2 is a kind of obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impediment, impedimenta
    --2 has particulars: clog; speed bump
  3. contraceptive, preventive, preventative, contraceptive device, prophylactic device, birth control device - an agent or device intended to prevent conception
    --3 is a kind of device
    --3 has particulars:
     cervical cap; coil; condom, rubber, safety, safe, prophylactic; diaphragm, pessary, contraceptive diaphragm; intrauterine device, IUD; morning-after pill; pill, birth control pill, contraceptive pill, oral contraceptive pill, oral contraceptive, anovulatory drug, anovulant; spermicide, spermatocide
,
TOP