safeguard

noun safe·guard \ ˈsāf-ˌgärd \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: safeguard in a Sentence

Definition of safeguard

1 a : pass, safe-conduct

b : convoy, escort

2 a : a precautionary measure, stipulation, or device

b : a technical contrivance to prevent accident

See safeguard defined for English-language learners

See safeguard defined for kids

Examples of safeguard in a Sentence

The new law has safeguards to protect the rights of citizens.
There are many safeguards built into the system to prevent fraud.

Recent Examples of safeguard from the Web

Still, The Wall Street Journal report claims there are few safeguards in place preventing employees at third party apps from reading email.

— refinery29.com, "The Gmail Privacy Controversy: How To Review Third Party Access To Your Inbox," 6 July 2018
But agency safeguards against potential conflicts of interest are not designed to prevent such future financial ties.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: FDA fails to police ‘pay-later’ conflicts; Philippines readies suit against Sanofi over dengue vaccine," 6 July 2018
The agency's safeguards against potential conflicts of interest are not designed to prevent such future financial ties.

— charles piller, Science | AAAS, "Hidden conflicts? Pharma payments to FDA advisers after drug approvals spark ethical concerns," 5 July 2018
Thorpe and Butler questioned whether that is an adequate safeguard.

— mary jo pitzl, azcentral, "What's going on in there? Questions arise about migrant kids' welfare," 27 June 2018
In programs that were more rudimentary than Tay, there were usually protocols that blacklisted offensive words, but there were no safeguards to limit the type of data Tay would absorb and build on.

— jonathan vanian, Fortune, "Unmasking A.I.'s Bias Problem," 25 June 2018
While those are good safeguards to have in place, there will still be guests who don't want Alexa anywhere in their hotel experience.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Alexa for hotels lets guests order room service, control in-room smart devices [Updated]," 19 June 2018
There would be safeguards built into the ordinance too.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora taking time with local preference option for city contracts," 6 June 2018
Agere contra—‘to act against’—here is your safeguard against the dangers of feeling.

— john l’heureux, The New Yorker, "The Long Black Line," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'safeguard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of safeguard

Middle English saufgarde, from Anglo-French, from sauf safe + garde guard

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

safeguard Synonyms

Synonyms

aegis (also egis), ammunition, armor, buckler, cover, defense, guard, protection, screen, security, shield, wall, ward;

Near Antonyms

aggression, assault, attack, offense (or offence), offensive;

fastness, fort, fortress, palisade, stronghold;

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

safeguard

verb

Definition of safeguard

safeguarded; safeguarding; safeguards

transitive verb

1 : to provide a safeguard for

2 : to make safe : protect

See safeguard defined for English-language learners

Examples of safeguard in a Sentence

laws that safeguard the rights of citizens
You need to safeguard your computer against viruses.
There are steps you can take to safeguard against identity theft.

Recent Examples of safeguard from the Web

Facebook contravened the law by failing to safeguard people’s information.

— adam satariano and sheera frenkel, BostonGlobe.com, "Facebook is fined by British agency over Cambridge Analytica data leak," 11 July 2018
Latest Stories Facebook broke the law by failing to safeguard people's information and was not transparent about how data was harvested, the British regulator said.

— NBC News, "U.K. will fine Facebook over Cambridge Analytica data breaches, regulator says," 10 July 2018
The bill also allows consumers to sue companies that fail to adequately safeguard their personal data, a provision that comes in response to data breaches like the ones at Target and Equifax.

— melody gutierrez, SFChronicle.com, "California lawmakers approve internet privacy bill, send it to Jerry Brown," 28 June 2018
The Court’s decision today fails to safeguard that fundamental principle.

— dylan matthews, Vox, "Sotomayor read Trump’s tweets too and wants to know why the rest of the Supreme Court didn’t.," 26 June 2018
The Court’s decision today fails to safeguard that fundamental principle.

— anne branigin, The Root, "Sonia Sotomayor Reads the Supreme Court's Travel Ban Decision for Filth," 26 June 2018
There’s scant mention of conservation—a GOP hallmark in the past—or safeguarding the environment.

— zack colman, Scientific American, "A Trump Oil Boom Could Transform This Rocky Mountain Landscape," 13 July 2018
Today, one of the most vital questions facing the judiciary concerns the power of the federal government to safeguard African-Americans’ voting rights — which is to say, the foundational individual right of all liberal democracies.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Brett Kavanaugh’s Qualifications Don’t Matter," 10 July 2018
Democracy isn’t living up to its billing In theory, democracy is designed to safeguard the rights of minorities.

— nicholas t. davis and steven miller, Vox, "Racism and authoritarianism go hand in hand," 2 July 2018

First Known Use of safeguard

1501

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

safeguard Synonyms

Phrases

stand up for;

Synonym Discussion of safeguard

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

- defend the country

protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

- a hard hat to protect your head

shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

- shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

- White House entrances are well guarded

safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

- our civil liberties must be safeguarded

SAFEGUARD Defined for English Language Learners

safeguard

noun

Definition of safeguard for English Language Learners

: something that provides protection against possible loss, damage, etc.

safeguard

verb

Definition of safeguard for English Language Learners

: to make (someone or something) safe or secure

SAFEGUARD Defined for Kids

safeguard

noun safe·guard \ ˈsāf-ˌgärd \

Definition of safeguard for Students

: something that protects and gives safety

Drink water as a safeguard against dehydration.

safeguard

verb

Definition of safeguard for Students

safeguarded; safeguarding

: to make or keep safe or secure Refrigerating the food will safeguard it against spoilage.

Learn More about safeguard

See words that rhyme with safeguard Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for safeguard Spanish Central: Translation of safeguard Nglish: Translation of safeguard for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of safeguard for Arabic speakers

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safeguard

Definition of safeguard

Examples of safeguard in a Sentence

Recent Examples of safeguard from the Web

Origin and Etymology of safeguard

safeguard Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Military Terms

safeguard

Definition of safeguard

Examples of safeguard in a Sentence

Recent Examples of safeguard from the Web

First Known Use of safeguard

safeguard Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Synonym Discussion of safeguard

SAFEGUARD Defined for English Language Learners

safeguard

Definition of safeguard for English Language Learners

safeguard

Definition of safeguard for English Language Learners

SAFEGUARD Defined for Kids

safeguard

Definition of safeguard for Students

safeguard

Definition of safeguard for Students

Learn More about safeguard

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