safe
/seɪf/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
- 1.
Not likely to cause harm, danger, or injury. Something safe can be used, done, or kept without serious risk.
- This bridge is safe to cross.
- Keep medicines safe from children.
- Is it safe to swim here?
- 2.
Protected from danger or loss. This use often describes people, places, or objects that are secure.
- Your bag is safe with me.
- We felt safe in the hotel.
- The documents are safe in the drawer.
Adinary Nuance
Safe is close to 'secure', 'protected', and 'risk-free', but it is the most everyday word. Use 'safe' for general danger or comfort, and 'secure' when you want to stress protection from attack, theft, or loss. 'Risk-free' is stronger and more formal, often used in business or warnings.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- an toàn
- Spanish
- seguro
- Chinese
- 安全
- Japanese
- 安全な
- Korean
- 안전한
Etymology
From Old French sauf, from Latin salvus meaning 'unhurt' or 'well'. It entered English in the Middle Ages.
Common phrases
safe and soundstay safesafe placesafe to use
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is safe the same as secure?
- Not exactly. Safe is more general; secure often means protected from theft, attack, or loss.
- Can I say safe for people and things?
- Yes. You can say a person is safe and a place or object is safe.
- Is safe common in business writing?
- Yes, but writers often choose secure or risk-free when they want a more formal tone.
- What does safe and sound mean?
- It means someone arrived or returned without harm or damage.