safe

1 of 2

adjective

safer; safest
1
: free from harm or risk : unhurt
2
a
: secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss
b
: successful at getting to a base in baseball without being put out
3
: affording safety or security from danger, risk, or difficulty
4
obsolete, of mental or moral faculties : healthy, sound
5
a
: not threatening danger : harmless
b
: unlikely to produce controversy or contradiction
6
a
: not likely to take risks : cautious
safe adverb
or safely
safeness noun

safe

2 of 2

noun

1
: a place or receptacle to keep articles (such as valuables) safe
2

Examples of safe in a Sentence

Adjective I don't feel safe in this neighborhood. The kids were safe in the cabin. We need to make sure that the children are safe and sound. “Is the money safe?” “Yes, it's in the bank.” a world made safe from war Is it safe to walk here? He wished us a safe trip. I found a safe place to take shelter from the storm. They live in a perfectly safe neighborhood. We watched the fireworks from a safe distance. Noun the hotel recommended that we keep all our valuables in its safe during our stay
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The vessel is currently holding its position at the site of the collision and is in a stable condition and all 22 of the ship’s crew members are safe and accounted for, the agency added. Melissa Alonso, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024 The day Ukraine formally joins NATO will be Russia’s ultimate strategic defeat—and Ukraine and all of Europe will be the safer for it. Ivo Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2024 Solar eclipse glasses safety:Are your solar eclipse glasses safe? Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Mar. 2024 The duck, since voiced by less famous humans, was safe. Maria Aspan, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024 More than a dozen major medical groups, led by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the American Medical Assn., said in friend-of-the court briefs that two decades of studies have shown the drugs are safe. David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024 Totality is the only part of the eclipse that's safe to look at without them. Lee V. Gaines, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024 Half a millennium ago, in what is now Peru, the indigenous Uros people used thatches of reeds to build floating islets in Lake Titicaca, likely as a safe haven from Incan encroachment. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas militants has continued to rage in areas that were once designated as safe zones. Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
More than 120,000 safes — including three gun safes designed for secure firearm storage — got recalled Thursday because their biometric locks might not limit access to the person with the right fingerprint. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 No injuries were reported in the latest recalls, which follow the October recall of 61,000 Fortress safes for the same reason, that the safes can allow unauthorized users, including children, to access them and their potentially deadly contents. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 Security cameras recorded a man stealing items such as registers and safes. Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 How many reports of the problem: One report of the gun safe opened by someone who wasn’t supposed to be able to get into the safe. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 The company has received reports of 71 incidents of the safes being opened by unauthoized users, the recall notice said. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 Five safes containing at least seven firearms were stolen, along with a four-wheeler and other valuables. Molly Langmuir, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2024 Nutsy), who Martin believes stole a fortune of diamonds from his safe. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2023 The safes can be locked onto the back of a beach chair. Nancy Dahlberg, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'safe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sauf, from Anglo-French salf, sauf, from Latin salvus safe, healthy; akin to Latin solidus solid, Greek holos whole, safe, Sanskrit sarva entire

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of safe was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near safe

Cite this Entry

“Safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

safe

1 of 2 adjective
safer; safest
1
: freed or secure from danger, harm, or loss
2
: successful at getting to a base in baseball without being put out
the runner was safe
3
: providing safety
4
: not threatening danger
safe medicine
5
a
: cautious
a safe driver
safely adverb
safeness noun

safe

2 of 2 noun
: a container to keep articles (as valuables) safe
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sauf "safe, unhurt," from early French sauf (same meaning), from Latin salvus "safe, healthy" — related to sage entry 3, save

Medical Definition

safe

adjective
safer; safest
: not causing harm or injury
especially : having a low incidence of adverse reactions and significant side effects when adequate instructions for use are given and having a low potential for harm under conditions of widespread availability
a list of drugs generally regarded as safe
safe use in pregnancy has not been established Emergency Medicine
safety noun
plural safeties

More from Merriam-Webster on safe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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