Definition of safety
safeties
1 : the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss
2 : a device (as on a weapon or a machine) designed to prevent inadvertent or hazardous operation
3a (1) : a situation in football in which a member of the offensive team is tackled behind its own goal line that counts two points for the defensive team — compare touchback (2) : a member of a defensive backfield in football who occupies the deepest position in order to receive a kick, defend against a forward pass, or stop a ballcarrierb : a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponentc : base hit
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Examples of safety in a Sentence
The changes were made in the interest of public safety.
He made some suggestions about how to improve airline safety.
I'm worried about the safety of the people who were left behind.
We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel.
She was only a mile from the safety of her home when the accident occurred.
The car has been redesigned for improved safety.
The toys are inspected for safety.
They were led to safety by the rescuers.
The injured hiker was finally able to reach safety.
Origin and Etymology of safety
Middle English saufte, from Anglo-French salveté, saufté, from salf safe
safety
Definition of safety
safetied
;safetying
transitive verb
: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident safety a rifle
First Known Use of safety
1916
SAFETY Defined for English Language Learners
safety
playDefinition of safety for English Language Learners
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: freedom from harm or danger : the state of being safe
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: the state of not being dangerous or harmful
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: a place that is free from harm or danger : a safe place
SAFETY Defined for Kids
safety
playDefinition of safety for Students
: freedom from danger or harm : the state of being safe
Learn More about safety
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for safety Spanish Central: Translation of safety Nglish: Translation of safety for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of safety for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about safety
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