safety
1 of 2noun
safe·ty ˈsāf-tē 
plural safeties
1
: the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss
2
: a device (as on a weapon or a machine) designed to prevent inadvertent or hazardous operation
3
a(1)
: a situation in football in which a member of the offensive team is tackled behind its own goal line that counts two points for the defensive team compare touchback
(2)
: a member of a defensive backfield in football who occupies the deepest position in order to receive a kick, defend against a forward pass, or stop a ballcarrier
b
: a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponent
c
: base hit
safety
2 of 2verb
safetied; safetying
transitive verb
: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident
safety a rifle
Synonyms
Noun
- protection
- safeness
- security
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The changes were made in the interest of public safety. He made some suggestions about how to improve airline safety. I'm worried about the safety of the people who were left behind. We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel. She was only a mile from the safety of her home when the accident occurred. The car has been redesigned for improved safety. The toys are inspected for safety. They were led to safety by the rescuers. The injured hiker was finally able to reach safety. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 But the best way to counter the persistent lack of commitment to patient safety is not exhortations, but exposure. —Michael L. Millenson, STAT, 17 Feb. 2023 After escaping in 1849, Tubman made about 13 trips back to Maryland along the railroad between 1850 and 1860, leading some 70 enslaved people to safety. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Feb. 2023 Deputies in a news release said the man, 25, eventually let go, allowing Alma to run to safety. —Simone Jasper The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 16 Feb. 2023 To deny someone access to safety based on such arbitrary genetic factors still feels inexcusably cruel to me. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2023 In Antakya, a volunteer mining crew from the northern province of Zonguldak found Emine Akgul, 26, and pulled her to safety, according to the state broadcaster TRT. —Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Feb. 2023 In Antakya, a volunteer mining crew from the northern province of Zonguldak found Emine Akgul, 26, and pulled her to safety, according to the state broadcaster TRT. —Gulsin Harman, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023 The driver had tried to jump off the bridge, but officers caught him, pulled him to safety and took him into custody, the sheriff's office said. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023 Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2023 Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, Irish envoy to the Vatican, has assembled a ragtag group to spirit to safety those fleeing Nazi persecution. —Malcolm Forbes, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2023 Desai also helped safety Eddie Jackson to a pair of Pro Bowl seasons under his tutelage. —cleveland, 15 Jan. 2023 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 These smaller rocket motors would be used to power a crew to safety away from the main Falcon rocket if something were to go wrong during a launch. —Hailey Rose Mclaughlin, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2019 Crews guide the pilot whales to safety off Eastham. —Gina Martinez, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2022 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 See More
Noun
The company has been under fire for years from critics who say using the software is a risk to public safety. —Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 But the best way to counter the persistent lack of commitment to patient safety is not exhortations, but exposure. —Michael L. Millenson, STAT, 17 Feb. 2023 After escaping in 1849, Tubman made about 13 trips back to Maryland along the railroad between 1850 and 1860, leading some 70 enslaved people to safety. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Feb. 2023 Deputies in a news release said the man, 25, eventually let go, allowing Alma to run to safety. —Simone Jasper The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 16 Feb. 2023 To deny someone access to safety based on such arbitrary genetic factors still feels inexcusably cruel to me. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2023 In Antakya, a volunteer mining crew from the northern province of Zonguldak found Emine Akgul, 26, and pulled her to safety, according to the state broadcaster TRT. —Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Feb. 2023 In Antakya, a volunteer mining crew from the northern province of Zonguldak found Emine Akgul, 26, and pulled her to safety, according to the state broadcaster TRT. —Gulsin Harman, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023 The driver had tried to jump off the bridge, but officers caught him, pulled him to safety and took him into custody, the sheriff's office said. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023 Verb
As Hamlin joined them, the crowd of NFL players and celebrities gave the Buffalo Bills safety a standing ovation. —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2023 Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, Irish envoy to the Vatican, has assembled a ragtag group to spirit to safety those fleeing Nazi persecution. —Malcolm Forbes, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2023 Desai also helped safety Eddie Jackson to a pair of Pro Bowl seasons under his tutelage. —cleveland, 15 Jan. 2023 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 These smaller rocket motors would be used to power a crew to safety away from the main Falcon rocket if something were to go wrong during a launch. —Hailey Rose Mclaughlin, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2019 Crews guide the pilot whales to safety off Eastham. —Gina Martinez, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2022 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 The vessels went down hundreds of miles apart, in one case prompting a dramatic overnight rescue effort as island residents and firefighters pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs. —Nicole Winfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English saufte, from Anglo-French salveté, saufté, from salf safe
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1916, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing safety
Kids Definition
safety
noun safe·ty
ˈsāf-tē
plural safeties
1
: the state or condition of being safe : freedom from hurt, injury, or loss
2
: a protective device (as on a pistol) to prevent accidental operation
3
a
: a score of two points for the defensive team in football when an offensive ballcarrier is tackled behind the offensive team's goal line
b
: a defensive football player whose position is far back from the line of scrimmage
safeties
noun
as in guards
a protective device (as on a weapon) to prevent accidental operation the gun couldn't be fired as long as the safety was on Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- guards
- locks
- defenses
- shields
- fail-safes
- protections
- safeguards