precautions
precautions — noun
- precautionssingular
- precautionsesplural
1. a thing that you do in advance to reduce the risk of something bad, harmful, or
a thing that you do in advance to reduce the risk of something bad, harmful, or dangerous happening later
Karim checked all the fire precautions before locking up the workshop.
collocation: fire precautions / safety precautions
After the floods, the council introduced new safety precautions near the riverbank.
countable noun, usually plural in this sense
Hannah always wears a face mask on the train as a precaution during flu season.
The Watanabe family stored bottled water and canned food as a precaution before the typhoon.
Basic precautions such as washing your hands can stop many common infections from spreading.
- safeguard
stronger — implies active protection against a known threat, often in formal or legal contexts
- preventive measure
more formal and clinical, commonly used in public health and policy writing
- insurance
figurative — suggests a backup plan in case things go wrong, not a direct preventive action
- negligence
the failure to take proper care or precautions
- risk-taking
deliberately accepting danger rather than preventing it
文法句型
take + precautions
as a + precaution
precaution + against + [something]
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'precautions' when describing specific measures (safety precautions, fire precautions). The singular 'precaution' is most common in the fixed phrase 'as a precaution'.
常見錯誤
2. a tactful word for birth control — the methods and products that prevent pregnan
a tactful word for birth control — the methods and products that prevent pregnancy
The nurse explained all the available precautions to Marta and her partner.
euphemism: 'precautions' for contraception
Adaeze and Sahil discussed taking proper precautions before their relationship became physical.
collocation: take precautions (euphemistic)
Many local clinics give free advice on contraception and other precautions for young people.
The health class covered various precautions and where to get reliable information.
Elena and her partner talked openly about taking precautions before visiting the clinic.
- contraception
the direct, clinical term — appropriate in medical and formal writing
- birth control
common informal term, broader than 'precautions' and not euphemistic
文法句型
take + precautions
用法筆記
This sense is a polite euphemism used in everyday conversation about sexual health. In formal medical writing or public health materials, the word 'contraception' is preferred for clarity.