save

¹

[ seyv ]

verb (used with object)

, saved, sav·ing.

1. to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss:

   to save someone from drowning.

   Synonyms: salvage

2. to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve:

   God save the king.

3. to keep from being lost to an opponent:

   A goal in the final minute saved the game.

4. to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of:

   to save fuel.

5. to keep, as for reuse:

   to save leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

6. to set aside, reserve, or lay by:

   to save money.

   Synonyms: husband, store up

7. to treat carefully in order to reduce wear, fatigue, etc.:

   to save one's eyes by reading under proper light.

8. to prevent the occurrence, use, or necessity of; obviate:

   to come early in order to save waiting.

9. Theology. to deliver from the power and consequences of sin.
10. Computers. to copy (a file or other data) to a storage medium, as from RAM to a disk.
11. Sports. to stop (a ball or puck) from entering one's goal.

verb (used without object)

, saved, sav·ing.

1. to lay up money as the result of economy or thrift.

   Synonyms: hoard, economize

2. to be economical in expenditure.
3. to preserve something from harm, injury, loss, etc.
4. to keep or last without spoiling, as food.

noun

1. an act or instance of saving, especially in sports:

   The goalie guarded the net well and made a crucial save.

2. Baseball. a statistical credit given a relief pitcher for preserving a team's victory by holding its lead in a game.
3. Computers.
   1. an act of copying a file or other data to a storage medium:

      The server is scheduled to execute a systemwide save at the end of the work day.

   2. one version of a saved file:

      We can recover the lost data if we restore it from a previous save.

save

²

[ seyv ]

preposition

1. except; but:

   All the guests had left save one.

conjunction

1. except; but (usually followed by that ):

   He would have gone, save that he had no means.

Save

³

[ sah-vuh ]

noun

1. Sava.

save

¹

/ seɪv /

preposition

1. Alsosaving often foll by for with the exception of

conjunction

1. but; except

save

²

/ seɪv /

verb

1. tr to rescue, preserve, or guard (a person or thing) from danger or harm
2. to avoid the spending, waste, or loss of (money, possessions, etc)
3. tr to deliver from sin; redeem
4. often foll by up to set aside or reserve (money, goods, etc) for future use
5. tr to treat with care so as to avoid or lessen wear or degeneration

   use a good light to save your eyes

6. tr to prevent the necessity for; obviate the trouble of

   good work now will save future revision

7. tr sport to prevent (a goal) by stopping (a struck ball or puck)
8. intr (of food) to admit of preservation; keep

noun

1. sport the act of saving a goal
2. computing an instruction to write information from the memory onto a tape or disk

Derived Forms

• ˈsavable, adjective
• ˈsavableness, noun
• ˈsaver, noun

Other Words From

• sava·ble savea·ble adjective
• sava·ble·ness savea·ble·ness noun
• saver noun
• un·sava·ble adjective
• un·savea·ble adjective
• un·saved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of save¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English sa(u)ven, from Old French sauver, salver, from Late Latin salvāre “to save”; safe

Origin of save²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sauue, sauf, save, variant of safe

Word History and Origins

Origin of save¹

C13 sauf, from Old French, from Latin salvō, from salvus safe

Origin of save²

C13: from Old French salver, via Late Latin from Latin salvus safe

Idioms and Phrases

• penny saved is a penny earned
• rainy day, save for a
• scrimp and save
• to save one's life

Synonym Study

See except ¹.

Example Sentences

Tanton began working with the group Zero Population Growth, which posited that stabilizing the number of people on the planet was the best way to save the environment, and became its national president.

From Salon

So, will this affect people with pension savings?

From BBC

In most Black homes, the living room is off-limits save for special occasions.

From Los Angeles Times

Other measures did little to save houses — such as clearing nearby flammable vegetation beyond 15 feet around the house, which, at best, reduced the risk by 3%.

From Los Angeles Times

She has a prescription of plus nine in one eye and has previously worn an eye patch to help save her sight in it.

From BBC

Related Words

• collect
• conserve
• keep
• maintain
• manage
• spare
• store

More About Save

What is a basic definition of save?

Save means to rescue from danger, to lessen the use of something, or to set something aside for later. Save has many other uses, especially as a verb and a noun.

If you save someone, you prevent them from being harmed or injured. Nonliving things can also be saved from destruction or damage. A person who saves someone or something else can be called a savior.

• Real-life examples: Superheroes save the world from supervillains and disasters. Firefighters often save people from burning buildings. A gardener may need to save their plants from hungry animals.
• Used in a sentence: We managed to gather support and save the park from being bulldozed. 

When you save gas or save time, you are lowering the amount that you usually spend. Things that lower the amount of stuff needed are called savers with another noun describing what is being saved, as in time saver. The noun saving, meaning a reduction, is based on this sense of save.

• Real-life examples: Many people want to save money they spend on gas by buying fuel-efficient cars. Using a calculator to solve math problems saves time and stress involved with doing the math in your head. You can save water by turning off the sink while brushing your teeth.
• Used in a sentence: I think our country will save money on energy if we switch to solar power. 

Save can also mean to keep something for later. For example, many people save money for a special thing they want to buy or so they have some available in case of an emergency. The word savings is used to refer to money saved for future need.

• Real-life examples: People often save leftover food to eat later rather than throw it away. Some people save food, water, and other supplies in case of emergencies. Hospitals may save emergency supplies of blood and medicine so they don’t run out.
• Used in a sentence: I am saving my funniest jokes for the talent show. 

Where does save come from?

The first records of save come from around 1175. It ultimately comes from the Late Latin salvāre, meaning “to save.”

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to save?

• saving (noun, present tense verb)
• savable (adjective)
• saveable (adjective)
• saver (noun)
• unsaved (adjective)

What are some synonyms for save?

• rescue
• salvage
• protect
• economize
• conserve

What are some words that share a root or word element with save? 

• savior
• save up
• save face
• saved by the bell
• save the day

What are some words that often get used in discussing save?

• hero
• salvation
• ration
• reduce
• cut back
• money
• time

How is save used in real life?

Save is a very common word that often means to rescue or to lessen the use of something.

Ellen Glynn said that the flotation devices she and her cousin Sara were wearing probably saved their lives

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 14, 2020

10-year-old: I figured out how we can save money on gas.

Me: How?

10: Buy a horse

I can already feel the savings.

— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@XplodingUnicorn) May 18, 2020

Bought a small pizza and told myself I would save some for later. Long story short… I ate it all.

— Rachel Egeland (@egelandr) November 29, 2015

Try using save!

True or False?

If a new stove saves you time while cooking, it lowers the amount of time you spend cooking.