# prophylaxis

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɹɔfɪˈlæksɪs/ · frequency rank #47,848

## Definitions
1. Prevention of, or protective treatment for, disease.
2. A move or strategy that frustrates an opponent's plan or tactic.

## Etymology
From Latin, from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”) + φύλαξις (phúlaxis, “a watching, guarding”).

## Common misspellings (18)
`porphylaxis`, `pprophylaxis`, `prohpylaxis`, `prophhylaxis`, `prophlyaxis`, `prophyalxis`, `prophylaixs`, `prophylaxiss`, `prophylaxsi`, `prophylaxxis`, `prophyllaxis`, `prophylxais`, `prophyylaxis`, `propphylaxis`, `propyhlaxis`, `prpohylaxis`, `prrophylaxis`, `rpophylaxis`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prophylaxis