From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Preventative \Pre*vent"a*tive\, n.
That which prevents; -- incorrectly used instead of
preventive.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
preventative
adj 1: tending to prevent or hinder [syn: {preventive},
{preventative}] [ant: {permissive}]
2: preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease;
"preventive medicine"; "vaccines are prophylactic"; "a
prophylactic drug" [syn: {preventive}, {preventative},
{prophylactic}]
n 1: remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or
disease; "the doctor recommended several preventatives"
[syn: {preventive}, {preventative}, {prophylactic}]
2: any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome [syn:
{hindrance}, {hinderance}, {hitch}, {preventive},
{preventative}, {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}, {interference}]
3: an agent or device intended to prevent conception [syn:
{contraceptive}, {preventive}, {preventative}, {contraceptive
device}, {prophylactic device}, {birth control device}]
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