curative

Everyday

1. Able to cure an illness or make someone healthy again. tree →
2. (formal) Meant to correct or put right a problem, not just to stop it from getting worse. tree →
3. (noun, rare) A medicine or treatment that cures. tree →

In the lessons

In health and science lessons «curative» treatment cures a disease, while «preventive» treatment stops you getting it. In stories and history, people believed in the curative powers of springs, herbs and spells. Phrases: «curative powers», «curative properties», «curative treatment».

Examples

• The old woman believed the spring water had curative powers. tree →
• Doctors hoped the new medicine would be curative. tree →
• Some plants have curative properties. tree →
• Surgery can be curative if the problem is found early. tree →
• Rest and fluids have a curative effect on a cold. tree →
• (formal) The council took curative measures to fix the flooding. tree →

Note

Pronounced «KYOOR-a-tiv». Trap: many products claim «curative powers» without proof — a claim is not evidence. Opposite idea: «preventive» (stopping illness before it starts).