safety

1 of 2

noun

safe·​ty ˈsāf-tē 

plural 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

3

a(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 ballcarrier

b

: a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponent

c

: base hit

safety

2 of 2

verb

safetied; safetying

transitive verb

: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident

safety a rifle

Synonyms

Noun

• protection
• safeness
• security

Examples of safety in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This allows for a detailed review, led by humans and augmented with AI input, while prioritizing safety and optimizing the vaccine dose profile prior to further development in late-stage clinical trials. —Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024

Since the war in Gaza began, colleges and universities have struggled to balance safety with free speech rights. —Nick Perry and Karen Matthews The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English saufte, from Anglo-French salveté, saufté, from salf safe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1916, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing safety

• free safety
• safety belt
• safety first
• safety glass
• safety in numbers
• safety lamp
• safety match
• safety net
• safety pin
• safety razor
• safety valve
• strong safety

Kids Definition

safety

noun

safe·​ty

ˈsāf-tē

plural safeties

1

: the state or condition of being safe : freedom from hurt, injury, or loss

2

: a protective device (as on a pistol) to prevent accidental operation

3

a

: a score of two points for the defensive team in football when an offensive ballcarrier is tackled behind the offensive team's goal line

b

: a defensive football player whose position is far back from the line of scrimmage