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
She was taken to a hospital near to the track, which is situated around 25km north of downtown Barcelona, and stayed overnight as a precaution.
—
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Recalls are typically classified by severity, and while not all involve immediate danger, they are carried out as a precaution to protect public health.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The Dodgers called up right-hander Matt Sauer for the taxi squad on Saturday as a precaution if Sasaki had another short start that taxed the bullpen.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2025
Cal Fire status update Situation Summary Evacuation warnings remain in place as a precaution while crews work to secure the fire's perimeter.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Recalls are typically classified by severity, and while not all involve immediate danger, they are carried out as a precaution to protect public health.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The Dodgers called up right-hander Matt Sauer for the taxi squad on Saturday as a precaution if Sasaki had another short start that taxed the bullpen.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2025
Cal Fire status update Situation Summary Evacuation warnings remain in place as a precaution while crews work to secure the fire's perimeter.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precaution. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share