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
safetied; safetying
: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident
safety a rifle
Synonyms
Examples of safety in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Voters rejected Gascon’s anti-public safety mandates to not file enhancements, including gun enhancements, forbidding his prosecutors to staff parole hearings or to seek the death penalty, and putting the rights of criminals over the rights of victims.
—Todd Spitzer, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Police and rescue services were using helicopters to lift people to safety from their homes and cars.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for safety 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The most exciting thing to happen in the area on Election Day was arguably a series of public safety power shutoffs by PG&E triggered by red flag fire conditions, which affected polling locations including Los Gatos’s Lakeside Elementary School.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Voters rejected Gascon’s anti-public safety mandates to not file enhancements, including gun enhancements, forbidding his prosecutors to staff parole hearings or to seek the death penalty, and putting the rights of criminals over the rights of victims.
—Todd Spitzer, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
Still, a fifth-round pick in last April’s draft, sparked the defense in the third quarter by leaping to deflect a pass in the end zone and batting it to safety Elijah Molden.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Police and rescue services were using helicopters to lift people to safety from their homes and cars.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for safety
Dictionary Entries Near safety
Cite this Entry
“Safety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share