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Synonyms

seat belt

American  
Or seatbelt

noun

  1. a belt or strap in an automobile, airplane, etc., fastened around or sometimes diagonally across the midsection to keep the person safely secured, as during a sudden stop.

seat belt British  

noun

  1. Also called: safety belt.  a belt or strap worn in a vehicle to restrain forward motion in the event of a collision

  2. a similar belt or strap worn in an aircraft at takeoff and landing and in rough weather

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of seat belt

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Front seat passengers such as Jenna often have chest, rib and breastbone injuries if wearing a seat belt because of the massive pressure from the impact.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Delivery drivers get in and out of the vehicle often while doing their job, which could lead to the type of seat belt misuse cited in the recall.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Rivian is recalling 34,824 vehicles to fix a damaged seat belt pretensioner cable.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

You are in the passenger seat with no seat belt, and the dashboard lights are blinking like they’re trying to tell you something in Morse code, which you never learned.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

I yank up my seat and check my seat belt as the plane makes its descent.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.