This is the 9696th most frequent French word.
empêchant
"Empêchant" means "preventing" or "hindering" in English.
In this sentence, "empêchant" is used to indicate an action of prevention that is occurring simultaneously with the protection of the village.
Le barrage protégeait le village en empêchant l'eau de déborder.
The dam protected the village by preventing the water from overflowing.
Here, "empêchant" conveys the act of stopping or hindering the conflict's escalation as a result of her courageous actions.
Elle a agi avec courage, empêchant que le conflit ne s'envenime davantage.
She acted with courage, preventing the conflict from worsening further.
In this usage, "empêchant" describes the role of the organized system in halting attempts at dishonesty during tests.