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
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.
And if a risk-free, stars-only safe space is the sole way to glimpse them in a more naturalistic mode, that seems to be a trade-off that millions are willing to make. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025 The Tea app promised to create a safe space for women to share information about men but required users to upload photos of themselves to verify their gender. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025 As goth became more commercialized in the 1990s (hello, Hot Topic), the subculture splintered into sub-subcultures (cyber goth, chola goth, pastel goth, to name a few) and expanded beyond the music scene into a safe space for young people who felt different. Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025 Providing clients a safe space to share their secrets, express their feelings and clarify their needs was the ideal solution to self-conscious fear and shame. Nicki J. Monti, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for safe space

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of safe space was in 1970

Cite this Entry

“Safe space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe%20space. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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