# an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/an-ounce-of-prevention-is-better-than-a-pound-of-cure
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Precaution and prevention of an undesirable thing is preferable to dealing with its potential consequences.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.