Prophylactic: meaning, definitions and examples
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prophylactic
[ ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk ]
medical
Intended to prevent disease; protective.
Synonyms
preventative, preventive, protective
Examples of usage
- Prophylactic measures such as vaccination have greatly reduced the spread of certain diseases.
- Wearing a mask is a prophylactic measure to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections.
medical
A medicine or course of action used to prevent disease.
Synonyms
guard, preventative, preventive
Examples of usage
- She took a prophylactic before traveling to the malaria-prone region.
- The doctor prescribed prophylactics for the entire village to prevent an outbreak of the virus.
Translations
Translations of the word "prophylactic" in other languages:
🇵🇹 profilático
🇮🇳 निवारक (nivaarak)
🇩🇪 prophylaktisch
🇮🇩 profilaksis
🇺🇦 профілактичний
🇵🇱 profilaktyczny
🇯🇵 予防的 (yobō-teki)
🇫🇷 prophylactique
🇪🇸 profiláctico
🇹🇷 profilaktik
🇰🇷 예방의 (yebang-ui)
🇸🇦 وقائي (wiqāʾī)
🇨🇿 profylaktický
🇸🇰 profylaktický
🇨🇳 预防性的 (yùfáng xìng de)
🇸🇮 profilaktičen
🇮🇸 fyrirbyggjandi
🇰🇿 профилактикалық (prophylaktikalyq)
🇬🇪 პროფილაქტიკური (prophylaktikuri)
🇦🇿 profilaktik
🇲🇽 profiláctico
Word origin
The word 'prophylactic' originates from the Greek word 'prophylaktikos', meaning 'preventive'. It was first used in the medical context in the mid-19th century to describe measures taken to prevent disease. The concept of prophylaxis has been crucial in the field of medicine to protect individuals and populations from various illnesses.