precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən 
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
warned of the need for precaution
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good : safeguard
take the necessary precautions
Examples of precaution in a Sentence
Be sure to follow the usual safety precautions when cooking outdoors.
When driving, she always wears her seatbelt as a precaution.
Every home owner should take precautions against fire.
She took the precaution of packing extra medicine for the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
Protect your car from heat damage: Take these precautions in extreme temperatures
Stay hydrated, watch for warning signs of heatstroke
One easy way to cut the health risk of heat could be to stay out of it.
—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2024
Advertisement The precautions are especially important for those at higher risk of severe illness, such as seniors 65 and older, people with underlying health conditions and those not up to date on their vaccinations.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Some athletes are taking their own precautions—but it shouldn’t be left only up to them.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Aug. 2024
That said, if people take precautions, another spike in cases isn’t guaranteed.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for precaution 
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2024
Advertisement The precautions are especially important for those at higher risk of severe illness, such as seniors 65 and older, people with underlying health conditions and those not up to date on their vaccinations.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Some athletes are taking their own precautions—but it shouldn’t be left only up to them.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Aug. 2024
That said, if people take precautions, another spike in cases isn’t guaranteed.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for precaution
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precaution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near precaution
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precaution
noun
pre·cau·tion
pri-ˈkȯ-shən
1
: care taken in advance : foresight
2
: a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or to bring about a good result
take precautions against fire
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