secure

play

adjective se·cure \ si-ˈkyu̇r , -'kyər \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of secure

securer; securest

1 a archaic :unwisely free from fear or distrust :overconfident

b :easy in mind :confident

c :assured in opinion or expectation :having no doubt

2 a :free from danger

b :free from risk of loss

c :affording safety

a secure hideaway

d :trustworthy, dependable

a secure foundation

3 :assured 1

a secure victory

—

securely

adverb

—

secureness

noun

See secure defined for English-language learners

See secure defined for kids

Examples of secure in a Sentence

We need to make our network more secure against attacks by hackers.
The children were safe and secure in their beds.
A safe is provided to keep your valuables secure from potential thieves.
You should store your valuables in a secure place.
How secure is your front door?
You are now entering a secure area.
I'm feeling secure about my place in the company.
The company has established a secure foothold in the market.
He believes his job is secure.
They didn't begin to celebrate until they knew their victory was secure.

Recent Examples of secure from the Web

Our children have, by and large, had secure and happy childhoods: orthodontics, vacations in Maine.

— dwight garner, Esquire, "The Problem with Spending It When You Have It," 24 Aug. 2017
The show’s candor and empathy have extended to a diverse set of characters, all of whom are both secure and true to themselves.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Inside The Fosters’ Groundbreaking Callie-Aaron Sex Scene," 23 Aug. 2017
These voters are, in the aggregate, poorer and less economically secure than the president’s other supporters.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Democrats Can Abandon the Center — Because the Center Doesn’t Exist," 30 July 2017
Some 250 residents of Syria’s Raqqa province are the latest batch to graduate from a brief U.S-training course that is preparing an internal security force to hold and secure areas as they are captured from Islamic State militants.

— Washington Post, "Some 250 residents join US-trained security force for Raqqa," 20 July 2017
Naperville Jaycees have donated $200,000 of the $400,000 price tag to secure park naming rights.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Official Naperville Riverwalk map to be drawn with room for expansion," 19 July 2017
Just about any product could have a unique identifier that links to production data, if not a full digital twin, reckons Thomas Körmendi, the chief executive of Kezzler, a Norwegian company that produces secure product codes using an algorithm.

— The Economist, "The Gemini makersMillions of things will soon have digital twins," 13 July 2017
Today, Thailand’s banking and finance sector seems more secure.

— jerry harmer, The Seattle Times, "20 years on, scars from Asian financial meltdown linger," 28 June 2017
The E-4B is designed to embark the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, or the Joint Chiefs of Staff and provide a secure location to command America's nuclear forces.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Air Force Just Had an Awful Week," 26 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of secure

Latin securus safe, secure, from se without + cura care — more at suicide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1545

See Words from the same year

secure Synonyms

Synonyms

assured, confident, self-asserting, self-assured, self-confident

Antonyms

diffident, insecure, self-distrustful, self-doubting

Near Antonyms

meek, timid, unassertive; humble, modest, unassuming, unpretentious; jittery, jumpy, nervous; bashful, demure, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, quiet, reserved, shy; self-critical, self-reproachful, self-reproving

secure

verb

Definition of secure

secured; securing

transitive verb

1 a :to relieve from exposure to danger :act to make safe against adverse contingencies

secure a supply line from enemy raids

b :to put beyond hazard of losing or of not receiving :guarantee

secure the blessings of liberty
—U.S. Constitution

c :to give pledge of payment to (a creditor) or of (an obligation)

secure a note by a pledge of collateral

2 a :to take (a person) into custody :hold fast :pinion

b :to make fast

secure a door

secure a bike to a tree

3 a :to get secure usually lasting possession or control of

secure a job

b :bring about, effect

4 :to release (naval personnel) from work or duty

intransitive verb

1 of naval personnel :to stop work :go off duty

2 of a ship :to tie up :berth

—

securer

noun

See secure defined for English-language learners

Examples of secure in a Sentence

We must secure the country's borders.
Secure your belongings under the seat.
secure a child safety seat
The seat is secured to the base by three screws.
She scored a goal to secure the team's victory.
She secured the zoo's future with a handsome bequest.
He secured a loan using his house as collateral.

Recent Examples of secure from the Web

Behind her runner-up performance in the sectional race, CAI secured its first trip to regional en route to Cavanaugh becoming the program's first girls runner to qualify for state.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "How two cross country runners helped turn Christian Academy of Indiana into a state-level contender," 30 Aug. 2017
FAMU reeled off two wins in three games, securing Stanley’s spot as the team’s starter.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "FAMU dreams of a return to its former glory in 2017," 29 Aug. 2017
The city's preferred developer, Bloomfield/Schon + Partners, is working to secure financing for the project, Dill said.

— chris mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Ft. Thomas opens historic Army homes for sneak peek," 28 Aug. 2017
This year, only the Class A Modesto Nuts have secured a postseason berth while the Arizona League Mariners still have a chance to qualify.

— ryan divish, The Seattle Times, "The best toiling down on the farm: Naming the top minor league players in the Mariners’ system," 26 Aug. 2017
Along with securing all vital records and maybe a piece of memorabilia or two, remember to get any medications and the family first aid kit.

— Popular Mechanics, "How to Evacuate Before a Storm or Flood," 25 Aug. 2017
There was a time, not too long ago, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appeared to be in line for a gig in the Trump administration, but no amount of fetching the candidate McDonald’s secured him the coveted vice-presidential slot.

— bess levin, vanityfair.com, "Is Chris Christie Headed to Dancing with the Stars?," 21 Aug. 2017
Freshman Robbie Ramos has secured the starting quarterback job.

— terry monahan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Valley League football preview," 21 Aug. 2017
Operating from boats, planes, cars and horses, the green-uniformed Border Patrol officers hold the front line to secure the 2,000-mile Southwest border.

— joseph tanfani, chicagotribune.com, "Trump vowed in January to hire 5,000 new Border Patrol agents. Now there are actually fewer.," 18 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of secure

1588

secure Synonyms

Synonyms

bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, defend, shield, ward

Antonyms

assail, assault, attack

Related Words

avert, prevent; oppose, resist, withstand; battle, contend, fight, war; conserve, preserve, save; buffer, palisade, picket, wall

Near Antonyms

bombard, storm; beset, besiege, overrun; capitulate, cave, submit, yield

Synonym Discussion of secure

ensure, insure, assure, secure mean to make a thing or person sure. ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee

- the government has ensured the safety of the refugees

, while insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand

- careful planning should insure the success of the party

, and assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.

- I assure you that no harm will be done

secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.

- sent reinforcements to secure their position

SECURE Defined for English Language Learners

secure

play

adjective

Definition of secure for English Language Learners

: protected from danger or harm
: providing protection from danger or harm
: guarded so that no one can enter or leave without approval

secure

verb

Definition of secure for English Language Learners

: to make (something) safe by guarding or protecting it
: to put (something) in a place or position so that it will not move
: to make (something) certain

SECURE Defined for Kids

secure

play

adjective se·cure \ si-ˈkyu̇r \

Definition of secure for Students

securer; securest

1 :free from danger or risk

Being home made me feel secure.

2 :strong or firm enough to ensure safety

a secure lock

3 :free from worry or doubt :confident

He's secure in his abilities.

4 :¹sure 5, certain

Victory is secure.

secure

verb

Definition of secure for Students

secured; securing

1 :to make safe

Police secured the building.

2 :to fasten or put something in a place to keep it from coming loose

Secure your belongings under the seat.

3 :to get hold of :acquire

… “Your father has finally secured passage for us …”
—Theodore Taylor, The Cay

Law Dictionary

secure

transitive verb se·cure

legal Definition of secure

secured; securing

1 :to put beyond hazard of losing or not receiving

secure the blessings of liberty
—U.S. Constitution preamble

2 a :to protect or make certain (as by lien)

make a just and equitable partition and secure the parties' respective interests
—Denton v. Lazenby, 879 P.2d 607 (1994)

b :to give security for (as a loan) or otherwise assure the payment, performance, or execution of with security

the court imposed a lien on his property to secure the judgment

c :to give or pledge security to (as a creditor); broadly :to cause to have security or a security interest

a creditor secured by a lien on real property

Learn More about secure

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up secure? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

secure

Definition of secure

securely

secureness

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of secure in a Sentence

Recent Examples of secure from the Web

Origin and Etymology of secure

secure Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

secure

Definition of secure

securer

Examples of secure in a Sentence

Recent Examples of secure from the Web

First Known Use of secure

secure Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of secure

Phrases Related to SECURE

Related Phrases

SECURE Defined for English Language Learners

secure

Definition of secure for English Language Learners

secure

Definition of secure for English Language Learners

SECURE Defined for Kids

secure

Definition of secure for Students

secure

Definition of secure for Students

Law Dictionary

secure

legal Definition of secure

Learn More about secure

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

Words of the Year: 1066