Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger.
The report goes on to make a number of recommendations to improve safety on aircraft.
Synonyms: security, protection, safeguards, assurance More Synonyms of safety
2. uncountable noun [oft preposition NOUN]
If you reach safety, you reach a place where you are safe from danger.
He stumbled through smoke and fumes given off from her burning sofa to pull her tosafety.
Guests ran for safety as the device went off in a ground-floor men's toilet.
The refugees were groping their way through the dark, trying to reach safety.
...the safety of one's own home. [+ of]
Synonyms: shelter, haven, protection, cover More Synonyms of safety
3. singular noun [with poss]
If you are concerned about the safety of something, you are concerned that it might be harmful or dangerous.
...consumers are showing growing concern about the safety of the food they buy. [+ of]
There is concern about the safety of the new treatment as it has not yet been proven.
Synonyms: reliability, security, harmlessness, lack of side effects More Synonyms of safety
4. singular noun [with poss]
If you are concerned for someone's safety, you are concerned that they might be in danger.
There is grave concern for the safety of witnesses.
The two youths today declined to testify because they said they feared for theirsafety.
Synonyms: well-being, security, protection, safeness More Synonyms of safety
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Safety features or measures are intended to make something less dangerous.
The built-in safety device compensates for a fall in water pressure.
...safety glasses.
6.
See safety in numbers
safety in British English
(ˈseɪftɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
1.
the quality of being safe
2.
freedom from danger or risk of injury
3.
a contrivance or device designed to prevent injury
4. American football
a. Also called: safetyman
either of two players who defend the area furthest back in the field
b.
a play in which the offensive team causes the ball to cross its own goal line and then grounds the ball behind that line, scoring two points for the opposing team
Compare touchback
safety in American English
(ˈseɪfti)
nounWord forms: pluralˈsafeties
1.
the quality or condition of being safe; freedom from danger, injury, or damage; security
2.
any of certain devices for preventing an accident or an undesirable effect
; specif.,
a.
a catch or locking device on a firearm that prevents it from firing
: also safety catch, safety lock
b. Slang
a condom
3. US, Baseball
base hit
4. US, American Football
a.
a play in which the defensive team is awarded two points as by tackling the offensive ball carrier behind the offensive team's goal line
see also touchback
b.
a defensive back who is primarily responsible for covering pass receivers in the middle of the defensive backfield
adjective
5.
giving safety; reducing danger or harm
Word origin
ME sauvete < MFr sauveté < OFr salvetet < ML salvitas, safety < L salvus: see safe
COBUILD Collocations
safety
child safety
endanger safety
ensure safety
fire safety
guarantee safety
passenger safety
patient safety
personal safety
protect safety
public safety
relative safety
vehicle safety
Examples of 'safety' in a sentence
safety
Those that could pulled back to the safety of the wood.
Malcolm Balen A Model Victory (2005)
This is a genuine danger to patient safety.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This is no longer just a food safety issue but possibly an international criminal trade.
The Sun (2013)
We will exchange our freedom with your safety.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But we now make safety our absolute priority.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But we had not yet reached safety.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The nursery admitted two health and safety charges.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Those held face charges of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
The Sun (2007)
There were no hints as to what that might mean for consumer health or safety.
Joanna Blythman SHOPPED: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets (2004)
Safety is something we cannot do without.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This time the principal safety device has been upgraded.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Our study showed just how much impact a home safety scheme can have if implemented correctly.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This huge iceberg had come over our position and sunk the buoy with our safety line.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There were also other ways to improve safety.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
There was no safety net across the abyss.
Roper, Jon Democracy and its Critics - Anglo-American democratic thought in the nineteenth century (1989)
The stuntman flies back and his safety wire snaps off.
The Sun (2013)
The company said there was no danger to public safety.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They care about food safety so are willing to pay more for good produce.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Yet air safety has improved dramatically.
The Sun (2014)
Concerns over the safety of deposits were raised after the downgrading of Icelandic banks by ratings agencies.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Quotations
There is safety in numbers
Word lists with
safety
Terms used in American football
In other languages
safety
British English: safety /ˈseɪftɪ/ NOUN
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger.
We need to improve safety on our roads.
American English: safety
Arabic: سَلامَة
Brazilian Portuguese: segurança
Chinese: 安全
Croatian: sigurnost
Czech: bezpečí
Danish: sikkerhed
Dutch: veiligheid
European Spanish: seguridad peligro
Finnish: turvallisuus
French: sécurité
German: Sicherheit
Greek: ασφάλεια
Italian: sicurezza
Japanese: 安全
Korean: 안전
Norwegian: sikkerhet
Polish: bezpieczeństwo
European Portuguese: segurança
Romanian: siguranță
Russian: безопасность
Latin American Spanish: seguridad
Swedish: säkerhet
Thai: ความปลอดภัย
Turkish: güvenlik
Ukrainian: безпека
Vietnamese: sự an toàn
All related terms of 'safety'
fire safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger.
free safety
the safety who is without an assignment of covering a particular player on the other team and is, typically, responsible for defending against long pass plays
road safety
the avoidance of danger on the road
safety belt
A safety belt is a strap attached to a seat in a car or aeroplane . You fasten it round your body and it stops you being thrown forward if there is an accident .
safety bolt
a bolt or lock on a door or gate that cannot be moved from the outside
safety cage
A safety cage is a rigid part of the body of a vehicle that surrounds the passenger compartment and protects passengers during a crash .
safety date
someone who accompanies a single person to a function to give the impression that he or she is in a personal relationship
safety film
photographic film consisting of a nonflammable cellulose acetate or polyester base
safety fuse
a slow-burning fuse for igniting detonators from a distance
safety gear
The gear involved in a particular activity is the equipment or special clothing that you use.
safety lamp
an oil-burning miner's lamp in which the flame is surrounded by a metal gauze to prevent it from igniting combustible gas
safety lock
→ another name for safety bolt
safety net
A safety net is something that you can rely on to help you if you get into a difficult situation .
safety pin
A safety pin is a bent metal pin used for fastening things together . The point of the pin has a cover so that when the pin is closed it cannot hurt anyone.
safety risk
If something that you do is a risk , it might have unpleasant or undesirable results.
safety zone
A safety zone is a place in the middle of a road crossing where you can wait before you cross the other half of the road.
active safety
the practice of taking measures to avoid accidents , as opposed to merely reducing their consequences
child safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
ensure safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
public safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
safety blade
a blade, as on a knife , razor , etc, with a guard to reduce the risk of accidental cutting
safety catch
The safety catch on a gun is a device that stops you firing the gun accidentally.
safety chain
a chain on the fastening of a bracelet , watch , etc, to ensure that it cannot open enough to fall off accidentally
safety device
A safety device is a piece of equipment such as a fire extinguisher, safety belt , or burglar alarm that reduces loss or damage from a fire, accident , or break-in.
safety expert
An expert is a person who is very skilled at doing something or who knows a lot about a particular subject.
safety factor
the ratio of the breaking stress of a material or structure to the calculated maximum stress when in use
safety glass
Safety glass is very strong glass that does not break into sharp pieces if it is hit .
safety hazard
A hazard is something which could be dangerous to you, your health or safety , or your plans or reputation .
safety helmet
a hard hat worn to protect the head from injury
safety island
→ safety zone
safety margin
something required to ensure safety
safety match
a match that will light only when struck against a specially prepared surface
safety razor
a razor with a guard or guards fitted close to the cutting edge or edges so that deep cuts are prevented and the risk of accidental cuts reduced
safety screen
a screen covering a work area and protecting people and equipment from fire and other danger
safety touch
a two-point play
safety valve
A safety valve is a device which allows liquids or gases to escape from a machine when the pressure inside it becomes too great .
strong safety
a safety positioned opposite the strong side who usually covers the tight end
endanger safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
passive safety
the practice of taking measures to reduce the consequences of accidents , as opposed to attempting to avoid them altogether
patient safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
personal safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
protect safety
Safety is the state of being safe from harm or danger .
relative safety
If you reach safety , you reach a place where you are safe from danger .
safety barrier
A barrier is something such as a fence or wall that is put in place to prevent people from moving easily from one area to another.
safety curtain
a curtain made of fireproof material that can be lowered to separate the auditorium and stage in a theatre to prevent the spread of a fire
safety feature
a feature of a product, etc, designed to ensure or increase its safety
Safety Islands
a group of three small French islands in the Atlantic , off the coast of French Guiana
safety measure
a measure taken to increase or ensure safety or protection from danger
safety officer
The safety officer in a company or an organization is the person who is responsible for the safety of the people who work or visit there.
safety reasons
The reason for something is a fact or situation which explains why it happens or what causes it to happen.