saving

[ sey-ving ]

adjective

1. tending or serving to save; rescuing; preserving.
2. compensating; redeeming:

   a saving sense of humor.

   Synonyms: redemptory

3. thrifty; economical:

   a saving housekeeper.

4. making a reservation:

   a saving clause.

noun

1. a reduction or lessening of expenditure or outlay:

   a saving of 10 percent.

2. something that is saved. save.
3. savings, sums of money saved save by economy and laid away.
4. Law. a reservation or exception.

preposition

1. except:

   Nothing remains saving these ruins.

2. with all due respect to or for:

   saving your presence.

conjunction

1. except; save.

saving

/ ˈseɪvɪŋ /

adjective

1. tending to save or preserve
2. redeeming or compensating (esp in the phrase saving grace )
3. thrifty or economical
4. law denoting or relating to an exception or reservation

   a saving clause in an agreement

noun

1. preservation or redemption, esp from loss or danger
2. economy or avoidance of waste
3. reduction in cost or expenditure

   a saving of 100 dollars

4. anything saved
5. plural money saved for future use
6. law an exception or reservation

preposition

1. with the exception of

conjunction

1. except

Derived Forms

• ˈsavingly, adverb

Other Words From

• saving·ly adverb
• non·saving adjective
• un·saving adjective
• un·saving·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of saving¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; save ¹, -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The same year, the Sierra Club helped publish the bestseller “The Population Bomb” by Stanford professor Paul Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, a Stanford scientific researcher, which argued that saving the planet was a numbers game.

From Salon

Experts in the federal bureaucracy emphasized that the most successful past reorganizations — particularly one driven by President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore — have relied on those inside the bureaucracy to figure out how to maintain services while cutting staffing and saving money.

From Los Angeles Times

One student, Jailene Bailey, even credited him with saving her life by offering support when she was struggling with her mental health.

From Los Angeles Times

Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis told the BBC he was supportive of the concept of smart meters, but the reality had not matched up.

From BBC

Responding to the government's announcement on fees, one personal finance expert said parents of young children should start saving now for their university years.

From BBC

Related Words

• preserving