preventive

adj 1: preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease;

"preventive medicine"; "vaccines are prophylactic"; "a

prophylactic drug" [syn: {preventative}, {prophylactic}]

2: tending to prevent or hinder [syn: {preventative}] [ant: {permissive}]

3: tending to ward off; "the swastika...a very ancient

prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples"- Victor

Schultze [syn: {cautionary}, {prophylactic}]

n 1: something that prevents or slows the course of an illness or

disease; "the docotr recommended several preventatives"

[syn: {preventative}, {prophylactic}]

2: something that impedes or is burdensome [syn: {hindrance}, {hitch},

{preventative}, {encumbrance}, {incumbrance}, {interference}]

3: an agent or device intended to prevent conception [syn: {contraceptive},

{preventative}, {contraceptive device}, {prophylactic

device}, {birth control device}]