safety

[ seyf-tee ]

noun

, plural safe·ties.

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. Compare touchback.
   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.

safety

/ 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 calledsafetyman 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

Other Words From

• self-safety noun
• super·safety noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of safety¹

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

Example Sentences

The unidentified employee asked whether the rating of the system’s risks should be raised, which may have prompted a more thorough safety review.

From Fortune

While the active pharmaceutical ingredient remains the same, excipients may be different, and even seemingly slight differences can significantly impact patient safety.

From Popular-Science

Customers are given about 48 hours’ notice, at the most, that their power will be cut — known as a public safety power shutoff.

From Voice of San Diego

Milton claimed the parts had been taken out of the truck for safety reasons.

From Ars Technica

He said this was especially true for vaccines, which are tested on healthy people, and therefore have a higher safety threshold for adverse side effects than medicines that are designed to treat people who are already ill.

From Fortune

A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.

From The Daily Beast

“This is the only place in the souk you can buy safety pins,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

The accident rate in Asia has marred what was in 2014 a banner year for aviation safety.

From The Daily Beast

Not for the benefit of the harasser, of course, but for your own safety.

From The Daily Beast

There was virtually no government oversight of safety and operational standards.

From The Daily Beast

To Berthier, if to any one, Bonaparte entrusted his secret designs, for he knew that he could do so in safety.

From Project Gutenberg

These residents then killed the parish priest, and without arms fled for safety to the mountain ravines.

From Project Gutenberg

Juan de Messa lost his head, and ran down stairs, thinking that his safety lay there.

From Project Gutenberg

In short, in a few minutes, he might have the safety of his father, and the preservation of Europe in his hand.

From Project Gutenberg

In that instant I felt fingers tighten on my arm, tighten till they bit into the flesh, and I was pulled back into safety.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• freedom
• security