Word.ws English Dictionary

prophylactics

prophylactics is the plural of prophylactic.

Meaning of prophylactic

Noun

prophylactic (plural prophylactics)

  1. A medicine which preserves or defends against disease; a preventive.
    1. (US, specifically) A prophylactic condom.
      • It is not clear whether such education is to be directed to homosexuals (for whom prophylactics are not a contraceptive) or to heterosexuals as well (for whom prophylactics are a contraceptive).1977, Human Life Center, International Review of Natural Family Planning, Human Life Center, St. John's University, page 2
  2. (figuratively) Any device or mechanism intended to prevent harmful consequences.
    • The securities laws are a prophylactic against stock fraud.

See all 4 meanings of prophylactic

Questions about prophylactics

What is prophylactics the plural of?
Prophylactics is the plural of prophylactic.

Words near prophylactics in the dictionary

  1. prophylactic rules
  2. prophylactic vinegar
  3. prophylactical
  4. prophylactically
  5. prophylactick
  6. prophylactics
  7. prophylactorium
  8. prophylax
  9. prophylaxed
  10. prophylaxes
  11. prophylaxies

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: prophylactics (page history and authors); prophylactic (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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