The present participle of 'avert'; the act of turning something away, preventing, or warding off something harmful.
From Old French 'avertir,' from Latin 'avertere' (to turn away). The '-ing' form creates a gerund or present participle describing ongoing action.
When you avert a disaster, you're literally turning it away like deflecting a missile. That's why 'averting' a crisis feels so satisfying—you've physically pushed away something bad.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.