an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

proverb

It is better to prevent a disease than to have to cure it.

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Meanings

proverb

alternative an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure · alternative an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

  1. It is better to prevent a disease than to have to cure it.
  2. broadlyidiomaticPrecaution and prevention of an undesirable thing is preferable to dealing with its potential consequences.

    It has been said, that the wisdom of a nation is seen in the spirit of their common sayings and proverbs; ours has one in point to the present purpose, that the ounce of prevention is more worth than the pound of cure.

    1786, J. Z. Holwell, A new experiment for the prevention of crimes
Cite this entry
APA

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20ounce%20of%20prevention%20is%20better%20than%20a%20pound%20of%20cure

MLA

“an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20ounce%20of%20prevention%20is%20better%20than%20a%20pound%20of%20cure. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20ounce%20of%20prevention%20is%20better%20than%20a%20pound%20of%20cure.

Source: an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.