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

My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. — Anna Tingley, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

The book club is a place for people to meet and have a safe space to relax and talk to other like-minded people. — Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026

If the convict can help transport the loot from that camp to a safe space far from the government’s prying eyes, the warden will punch his get-outta-jail-free card. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

The United States needs a safe space to run such simulations. — Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 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