Prophylactic
/ˌproʊ.fɪˈlæk.tɪk/noun
Something that prevents disease or an unwanted outcome.
Did you know?Prophylactic comes from Greek medical language, built from pro- (“before”) and phylaktikos (“serving as a guard”); it’s a rare case where the word itself encodes prevention as a kind of warding ritual.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
prophylaktikós
“serving to guard or protect beforehand”
Late Greek
Greek
prophylaktikós
“preventive, protective, especially in medicine”
17th Century
English
prophylactic
“preventive; tending to ward off disease”
19th Century
English
prophylactic
“a preventive measure, especially in medicine”
Modern English
English
prophylactic
“something that prevents disease or an unwanted outcome”
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