safety

American  

[seyf-tee] / ˈseɪf ti /

noun

plural

safeties

1. the state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, or loss.

2. the quality of averting or not causing injury, danger, or loss.

3. a contrivance or device to prevent injury or avert danger.

4. Also called lock, safety catch, safety lock.  a locking or cutoff device that prevents a gun from being fired accidentally.

5. the action of keeping safe.

6. Football.

   1. an act or play in which a player on the offensive team is tackled in his own end zone or downs the ball there, or in which the ball goes out of bounds on a fumble, having last been in bounds in or over the end zone and having last been in the possession of an offensive player.

   2. an award of two points to the opposing team on this play.

   3. Also called safety man.  a player on defense who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage.

7. Baseball. a base hit, especially a one-base hit.

8. Slang. a condom.

9. Obsolete. close confinement or custody.

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safety British  

/ ˈseɪftɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being safe

2. freedom from danger or risk of injury

3. a contrivance or device designed to prevent injury

4. American football

   1. Also called: safetyman.  either of two players who defend the area furthest back in the field

   2. a play in which the offensive team causes the ball to cross its own goal line and then grounds the ball behind that line, scoring two points for the opposing team Compare touchback

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Other Word Forms

• self-safety noun
• supersafety noun

Etymology

Origin of safety

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sauvete, from Middle French; equivalent to safe + -ty ²

Explanation

A safety is a device that helps keep you from doing bad things, like the safety on a gun that prevents you from pulling the trigger accidentally. Safety, besides meaning "the state of being safe," is used for things that promote safety. If you designate a special meeting place in case of emergency, that place is a safety. If you use contraception during sex, that's also a safety, to prevent pregnancy. In football it's a safety if a player is tackled behind his own goal line. And if you hit the baseball in a way to ensure you reach the base, that's called a safety too.

Example Sentences

The UK and the EU are currently negotiating various deals, including one concerning food safety and standards for animal and plant health.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

“Our products meet or exceed global regulatory, safety, and quality standards,” Lululemon added.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

While the drug showed efficacy for ovarian and endometrial cancers with no major safety red flags in early-stage studies, there are caveats about small sample sizes and slightly different prior lines of therapy, Jefferies says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But investors seeking safety from rising volatility doesn’t tell the whole story behind the dollar’s recent rise, according to Thierry Wizman, a currency and rates strategist at Macquarie.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Afraid both for her safety and that she’d never be able to find work if she were arrested, I begged her not to participate.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• freedom
• security