Preparedness Meaning
/pɹɪˈpɛə(ɹɪ)dnɪs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe state of being prepared.
nounPrecautionary measures in the face of potential disasters.
Sentence Examples
Emergency preparedness requires planning.
We're taking a class on disaster preparedness uptown.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The government's ____ for the hurricane saved many lives because they had stocked supplies.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government's ____ for the pandemic was criticized as inadequate given the scale of the crisis.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English prepare English -ed English prepared Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English preparedness From prepared + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"On her preparedness to return to Labour's front bench under new Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer, she is non-committal."
— 2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 35:
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency has halted the release of hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency preparedness grants, requiring states to prove their population counts before they can access the money, the agency told CNN."
— 2025 October 2, Gabe Cohen, “In unusual move, FEMA halts preparedness grant money, orders states to recount their populations excluding deported migrants”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2025:
""We won't let the downfall of any one person make us lower our guard or slacken the level of war preparedness we should maintain," he added."
— 2026 January 26, Ben Blanchard, Roger Tung, quoting Wellington Koo, “Taiwan monitoring 'abnormal' China military leadership changes after top general put under investigation”, in Michael Perry, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2026:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The government's ____ for the hurricane saved many lives because they had stocked supplies.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government's ____ for the pandemic was criticized as inadequate given the scale of the crisis.