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

If the night is bound to be full of doorbell chimes, create a safe space for your pet. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

Emotional risks Although AI chatbots can offer comfort or a safe space to practice conversation, researchers are finding that frequent use can also carry emotional risks. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025

There just needs to be a safe space for people to have their political opinions. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025

The department intends to make sure participants have a safe space to demonstrate and intends stop any unlawful activity. —Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025

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