Meaning & use

precaution

noun·Academic

An action taken in advance to prevent harm, danger, or an unwanted outcome.

See it in a sentence

As a precaution, the school closed early before the storm arrived.

She kept a spare key hidden outside as a precaution against being locked out.

A note on using this word

Precaution is often used with 'take', as in 'take precautions', rather than 'make precautions'.

Words with a similar meaning

safeguardprotection

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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