proverb · Legacy record
An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying values a small amount of protection above a larger amount of cure. It prefers preventing a problem to addressing its consequences.
What the words are saying
The ounce and pound make a comparison of effort vivid, not an exchange rate. A qualified application considers appropriate prevention without claiming it is always easier, possible or sufficient. The phrase supplies no particular medical measure, treatment or guarantee.
Everyday example
A group considers a suitable safeguard before a task while keeping a response plan available.
When to use it
Use it to discuss prevention with its actual limits assessed.
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What it does not mean
No universal cost ratio, prevention guarantee or medical instruction is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 729; PDF page 105
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.