- the quality of being safe
- freedom from danger or risk of injury
- a contrivance or device designed to prevent injury
- Also called: safetyman either of two players who defend the area furthest back in the field
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
safe•ty /ˈseɪfti/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -ties.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the state of being safe:[uncountable]the rules of safety; Sometimes there is safety in numbers (= being with others is safer than being alone).
- a device to prevent injury:[countable]When too much electricity enters the circuit, the safeties come on and cut off the flow.
safe•ty
(sāf′tē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ties.
- the state of being safe;
freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, or loss. - the quality of averting or not causing injury, danger, or loss.
- a contrivance or device to prevent injury or avert danger.
- MilitaryAlso called lock, safety catch, safety lock. a locking or cutoff device that prevents a gun from being fired accidentally.
- the action of keeping safe.
- Sport[Football.]
- 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. Cf. touchback.
- an award of two points to the opposing team on this play.
- Also called safety man. a player on defense who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage.
- Sport[Baseball.]a base hit, esp. a one-base hit.
- Slang Termsa condom.
- [Obs.]close confinement or custody.
- Middle French. See safe, -ty2
- Middle English sauvete 1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
safety /ˈseɪftɪ/ n ( pl -ties)
'safety' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
air bag
- air rage
- answerable
- AWS
- biosimilar
- bismuth
- brinkmanship
- citadel
- cover
- crash barrier
- cut out
- Danton
- Davy lamp
- dead man's handle
- depositary
- destruct
- Devil's Island
- ensconce
- escape
- evacuate
- factor of safety
- FDA
- fibula
- fundamental
- fuse
- GMDSS
- Godspeed
- Green Cross Code
- Greenpeace
- half-cock
- harbour
- haven
- HSE
- Îles du Salut
- interlock
- lodge
- LTSA
- match
- oasis
- Palladium
- panic button
- pin
- playpen
- PPE
- reach
- repository
- retrofit
- safe
- safe-deposit
- safekeeping