safe space

noun

: a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations

… student volunteers put up posters advertising that a "safe space" would be available for anyone who found the debate too upsetting.

—Judith Shulevitz

Women, sexual assault victims, people of color, transgender students. College campuses have created "safe spaces" for all sorts of marginalized groups.

—Catherine Rampell

Examples of safe space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The effect is of watching someone float around the outside of a safe space. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

As the chair of the Queer and Transgender API Strong Coalition, Lopez continues to be a safe space for others. — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Leadership must foster this environment through empathetic listening, ensuring a safe space for flagging concerns. — Gary Zammit, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Mike, the moderator of the /porcelainveneerstruth subreddit, has made his corner of the internet a safe space not only for those who regret their veneers, but for people who are looking for guidance on where to start the process. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for safe space

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace