Prophylactic

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /pɹɒfəˈlæktɪk/

Definitions

1. Designed to stop the occurrence of illness or infection ; a method or item used to avoid pregnancy or the spread of disease
2. A preventative approach to protect against health problems ; a protective tool or practice that reduces the risk of conceiving or contracting infections
3. Serving to guard against medical conditions before they arise ; a physical or procedural safeguard employed to prevent pregnancy or disease transmission

Etymology: The Greek root of "prophylactic" is "phylax," meaning guard or sentinel, a word that also gave us "phylactery" through a different path. Ancient Greek speakers built "prophulaktikos" by placing "pro-" ("before") in front of "phulassein," to guard, so the original sense was something like "guarding in advance." The adjective was a practical description of anything that stood watch ahead of trouble, not a medical term. The word passed into Latin as "prophylacticus" and then into English, where it kept the sense of protecting against something before it arrives. Its meaning stayed close to that core: an action, object, or treatment that defends against a threat that has not yet appeared. Use is recorded in English with the noun sense "a preventive measure," which is the form most people now encounter, most often in discussions of medicine and contraception.

Synonyms: preventive, protective, remedial, safeguarding, curative

Antonyms: therapeutic, reactive, inhibitive, harmful, destructive