prophylactic vs preventative

prophylactic and preventative both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
prophylactic	Yes	Yes	No	No
preventative	Yes	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, prophylactic and preventative are synonyms defined as:

prophylactic and preventative: preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease

Other synonyms of prophylactic include preventive.

As nouns, preventative is a hypernym of prophylactic; that is, preventative is a word with a broader meaning than prophylactic:

prophylactic: contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse
preventative: an agent or device intended to prevent conception

As nouns, prophylactic and preventative are synonyms defined as:

prophylactic and preventative: remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease

Other synonyms of prophylactic include preventive.

prophylactic (noun)	preventative (noun)
contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse	remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease
remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease	an agent or device intended to prevent conception
	any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome

prophylactic (adjective)	preventative (adjective)
preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease	tending to prevent or hinder
warding off	preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
capable of preventing conception or impregnation