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
5
a
: not threatening danger : harmless
b
: unlikely to produce controversy or contradiction
6
a
: not likely to take risks : cautious
b
safe
adverb
or safely
safeness
noun
1
: a place or receptacle to keep articles (such as valuables) safe
2
Synonyms
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
David Pogue, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Stories of new and expectant mothers seeking to care for and feed their children amid acute shortages of food, medicines, safe shelter and hospital care are especially tragic.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Yet a more modest vision for a safe, workable neuro-prosthesis that would allow disabled people to use a computer with ease is realizable.
—S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024
The six unlikely heroes reluctantly take on the task of bringing the only vaccine against the plague of idiots to a safe place, where Norway’s smartest minds have sought refuge.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
For safe manufacturers and resellers of eclipse glasses and filters for optical devices, including cameras and smartphones, check out the list curated by the American Astronomical Society.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Solar eclipse glasses safety: Are your solar eclipse glasses safe?
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 6 Apr. 2024
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
Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
Cinnamon, soup dumplings, eye ointments, gun safes, cars and more: See a list of the biggest recalls announced in the past six weeks.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
The reset codes are one reason the Department of Defense has banned the safes from being used inside the US government.
—Dell Cameron Andrew Couts, WIRED, 16 Mar. 2024
Consumer options: Machir is offering free replacement safes.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024
The court documents detailed that the average crime tourist in the Valley operates most commonly between Friday and Sunday between 5-9 p.m. and ransacks a home for money, jewelry, designer purses and entire safes.
—The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024
The law requires gun owners to keep firearms locked away in safes or secured by a gun lock.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024
Otherwise, Phill could have just reached his hand in the safe, grabbed it, and sprinted away a multi-millionaire.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2023
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
Adjective
Revisiting 2017 Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times across the U.S.
Are your eclipse glasses safe?
—David Pogue, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Stories of new and expectant mothers seeking to care for and feed their children amid acute shortages of food, medicines, safe shelter and hospital care are especially tragic.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Yet a more modest vision for a safe, workable neuro-prosthesis that would allow disabled people to use a computer with ease is realizable.
—S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024
The six unlikely heroes reluctantly take on the task of bringing the only vaccine against the plague of idiots to a safe place, where Norway’s smartest minds have sought refuge.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
For safe manufacturers and resellers of eclipse glasses and filters for optical devices, including cameras and smartphones, check out the list curated by the American Astronomical Society.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Solar eclipse glasses safety: Are your solar eclipse glasses safe?
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 6 Apr. 2024
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
Noun
Room 205, which used to be a bursar’s office, features Chip Gaines’s favorite detail in the hotel: a giant safe, which has been turned into a working closet.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
Cinnamon, soup dumplings, eye ointments, gun safes, cars and more: See a list of the biggest recalls announced in the past six weeks.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
The reset codes are one reason the Department of Defense has banned the safes from being used inside the US government.
—Dell Cameron Andrew Couts, WIRED, 16 Mar. 2024
Consumer options: Machir is offering free replacement safes.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024
The court documents detailed that the average crime tourist in the Valley operates most commonly between Friday and Sunday between 5-9 p.m. and ransacks a home for money, jewelry, designer purses and entire safes.
—The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024
The law requires gun owners to keep firearms locked away in safes or secured by a gun lock.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024
Otherwise, Phill could have just reached his hand in the safe, grabbed it, and sprinted away a multi-millionaire.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2023
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
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
Phrases Containing safe
Articles Related to safe
Dictionary Entries Near safe
Cite this Entry
“Safe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
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
b
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
Emergency Medicine
More from Merriam-Webster on safe
Nglish: Translation of safe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of safe for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about safe
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