the act of intercepting; preventing something from proceeding or arriving; "he resorted to the interception of his daughter's letters"; "he claimed that the interception of one missile by another would be impossible"
the prevention of something increasing or spreading (especially the prevention of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons); "they protested that the nonproliferation treaty was just a plot to maintain the hegemony of those who already had nuclear weapons"; "nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation are closely related goals"
keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent"
stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"
prevent from entering; shut out; "The trees were shutting out all sunlight"; "This policy excludes people who have a criminal record from entering the country"
keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"