PROPHYLACTIC Definition & Meaning

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prophylactic

[ proh-fuh-lak-tik, prof-uh- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

defending or protecting from disease or infection, as a drug.
preventive or protective.

noun

Medicine/Medical. a prophylactic medicine or measure.
a preventive.
a device, usually a rubber sheath, used to prevent conception or venereal infection; condom.

prophylactic

/ ˌ��ɒ��ɪˈ��æ��ɪ�� /

adjective

protecting from or preventing disease
protective or preventive

noun

a prophylactic drug or device, esp a condom

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��·��·��·�پ�·��·�� adverb

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of prophylactic¹

First recorded in 1565–75; from Greek ��Ǳ��پ��ó�� “of guarding,” equivalent to prophylak- (base of ��Ǳ��á��𾱲� “to guard beforehand”) + -tikos -tic; prophylaxis

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of prophylactic¹

C16: via French from Greek prophulaktikos, from prophulassein to guard by taking advance measures, from pro- ² + phulax a guard

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Pallett says such prophylactic use of the drugs, though unavoidable, can “add fuel to the fire” by promoting the evolution and spread of genes for drug resistance.

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Section 143 states "the regulations may impose a special restriction or requirement such as requiring a person to be vaccinated or to receive other prophylactic treatments".

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What they found was that it didn't matter whether the patient was treated with prophylactic antibiotics or not when it came to rates of post-operative infection.

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Thirty minutes after the single dose of alcohol, the prophylactic application of the gel reduced the alcohol level in the mice by 40 percent.

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Authorized by the FDA for emergency use, it’s given prophylactically and can help recipients prevent COVID-19 if they are later exposed to an infected person.

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