Characters remaining: 500/500
Translation

Also found in: English - Vietnamese

prophylactic

/prophylactic/
Academic
Friendly

Word: Prophylactic

Part of Speech: Adjective and Noun

Basic Definition: 1. As an adjective, "prophylactic" means something that prevents disease or helps to prevent a health issue. 2. As a noun, it refers to a device or medication that helps to prevent disease or unwanted pregnancy.

Usage Instructions:
  • Use "prophylactic" as an adjective to describe actions, treatments, or medicines that help prevent illness or problems.
  • Use "prophylactic" as a noun when referring specifically to contraceptive devices or treatments that prevent disease.
Examples:
  • Adjective: "The doctor prescribed a prophylactic medication to prevent the flu."
  • Noun: "He used a prophylactic during intercourse to prevent pregnancy."
Advanced Usage:
  • In medical discussions, "prophylactic" might be used to describe vaccines or preventative health measures, such as regular screenings.
  • In a broader context, "prophylactic" can also refer to any strategy or product aimed at preventing a negative outcome in various fields (not just medicine).
Word Variants:
  • Prophylaxis (noun): The action of preventing disease, often used in a medical context.
    • Example: "Vaccination is a form of prophylaxis."
  • Prophylactically (adverb): In a manner that prevents disease.
    • Example: "They treated the water prophylactically to avoid contamination."
Different Meanings:
  • Mostly used in medical contexts, but can also refer to preventative measures in other fields, such as safety or security.
Synonyms:
  • Preventive
  • Protective
  • Precautionary
  • Contraceptive (when referring to the noun form)
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
  • While "prophylactic" does not have specific idioms or phrasal verbs associated with it, you can often pair it with phrases like "take preventive measures" or "act as a safeguard."
Summary:

The word "prophylactic" is an important term in health and medicine. It describes actions or items that prevent disease or unwanted outcomes, making it a useful word when discussing health practices or contraceptives.

Adjective
  1. preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
    • preventive medicine
    • vaccines are prophylactic
    • a prophylactic drug
  2. warding off
    • the swastika...a very ancient prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples- Victor Schultze
  3. capable of preventing conception or impregnation
    • contraceptive devices and medications
Noun
  1. contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse
  2. remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease
    • the doctor recommended several preventatives

Comments and discussion on the word "prophylactic"