an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

A form of an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure — It is better to prevent a disease than to have to cure it.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativerareAlternative form of an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

    "It is best to come clean," Mr Kendall said. "But an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure."

    2015 July 2, Tim Binsted, “Australians don't trust government or telcos to protect their data: survey”, in Sydney Morning Herald
    2 more examples

    Let us clean up beautiful Jamaica. Clean up the issues before the problems gets worse and get out of control. Government, I call on you to save Jamaica now, because an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure.

    2016 January 16, “Clear Bush From Vacant Lots”, in The Gleaner

    “It’s very rewarding because you can make an impact at a population level,” Dr. Gaglani said. “An ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure.”

    2017 March 1, Stephen Adams, “Central Texas doctor conducts life-saving flu vaccine research”, in KCEN-TV
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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