prophylactic

IPA: prɑfɪɫˈæktɪk

A medicine which preserves or defends against disease; a preventive.
(US, specifically) A prophylactic condom.
(figuratively) Any device or mechanism intended to prevent harmful consequences.

Serving to prevent or protect against an undesired effect, especially disease or pregnancy

Examples of "prophylactic" in Sentences

Prophylactic The word prophylactic means preventive but condoms are sometimes called prophylactics.
Thirdly, if people are getting frequent attacks, there are what we call prophylactic, preventive drugs.
It preys only upon ignorance, and a very moderate amount of knowledge is an almost certain prophylactic against it.
Long-term prophylactic antibiotic treatment reduces the rate of reinfection during the treatment, but does not alter the patient's basic susceptibility to infections.
Preventive mastectomy, also known as prophylactic or risk-reducing mastectomy, can decrease the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 90 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute.
And slightly later, I owe my gratitude to Al Lowe for teaching me, by way of Leisure Suit Larry, what a "prophylactic" is at the age of eight or so (yes, precocious, intellectual independence, hallelujah)!
Manishin explained that in mega-media deals of this sort, the FCC typically takes a "prophylactic" -- or preemptive -- role, while the Justice Department would wait until an anti-competitive action had occurred.
And I cannot believe that many persons are aware that the word prophylactic, defined as ` preventive of disease, 'may just as properly be used to describe the kind of rubbers your mother made you wear in the rain as the devices the army used to distribute for the protection of promiscuous privates.