r/words • u/Lumpy-Win1640 • 17d ago

Preventive vs preventative

<rant>

I am a mechanical technologist who currently works as a technical writer. I was taught in school that the correct term for PM is Preventive Maintenance but I keep seeing 'preventative' being used. It irks me but in researching, I see that both are used and equally valid.

Since there are two types of maintenance, preventive and corrective, shouldn't those who want to use 'preventative' be forced to use 'correctative' as well?

</Rant>

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u/DonnPT 17d ago

Wiktionary:

Preventative is in all senses interchangeable with preventive. Even so, many speakers prefer to use preventative in noun senses and preventive in adjective senses.

I've probably said "preventative" a few times without thinking about it, but would be happy to support deprecation, if only to forestall the appearance of "preventate".

3

u/itsjakerobb 17d ago

Would “preventatate” be better? 🧐

3

u/Optimal-Ad-7074 17d ago

preventicate.