plural safeties
1
: the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss
2
: a device (as on a weapon or a machine) designed to prevent inadvertent or hazardous operation
3
a(1)
: a situation in football in which a member of the offensive team is tackled behind its own goal line that counts two points for the defensive team compare touchback
(2)
: a member of a defensive backfield in football who occupies the deepest position in order to receive a kick, defend against a forward pass, or stop a ballcarrier
b
: a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponent
c
: base hit
safetied; safetying
: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident
safety a rifle
Synonyms
Examples of safety in a Sentence
Noun
The changes were made in the interest of public safety.
He made some suggestions about how to improve airline safety.
I'm worried about the safety of the people who were left behind.
We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel.
She was only a mile from the safety of her home when the accident occurred.
The car has been redesigned for improved safety.
The toys are inspected for safety.
They were led to safety by the rescuers.
The injured hiker was finally able to reach safety.
Recent Examples on the Web
Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 5 July 2024
The families believe that the focus should be on gun safety, while conservatives are focusing on police reports that suggested the shooter was transgender.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 18 June 2024
In December 2021, gunfire broke out at the mall, sending shoppers scrambling to safety on a busy evening just days before Christmas.
—Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for safety 
Noun
The survey has 11 sections, covering issues including housing and financial needs, public safety, employment, and physical and mental health.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 5 July 2024
The families believe that the focus should be on gun safety, while conservatives are focusing on police reports that suggested the shooter was transgender.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
Verb
Would safety warning labels on social media help protect kids?
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 18 June 2024
In December 2021, gunfire broke out at the mall, sending shoppers scrambling to safety on a busy evening just days before Christmas.
—Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for safety
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'safety.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near safety
Cite this Entry
“Safety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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