prophylactic
/ˌpɹɑfɪˈɫæktɪk/
Intended to prevent disease
prophylactic in a sentence
“Prophylactic antibiotics were administered before surgery.”
Origin of prophylactic
From Greek prophylaktikos (precautionary), from prophylassein (to guard before), from pro- (before) + phylassein (to guard)
Related Words
idiopathic
Of unknown cause
iatrogenic
Caused by medical treatment or examination
comorbidity
The presence of additional diseases alongside a primary condition
triage
Assigning degrees of urgency to decide treatment order
asymptomatic
Showing no symptoms of disease
empirical
Based on observation rather than theory