Wiktionary

safe

See also: Safe and -safe

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English sauf, safe, saf, saaf, from Old French sauf, saulf, salf (“safe”), from Latin salvus (“whole, safe”), from Proto-Italic *salwos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole, every”). Displaced native Old English sicor (secure, sure).

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: sāf, IPA(key): /seɪf/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪf
  • Hyphenation: safe

Adjective

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safe (comparative safer or more safe, superlative safest or most safe)

  1. Not in danger; out of harm's reach.
    You’ll be safe here.
  2. Free from risk.
    Synonyms: riskless, harmless
    Antonyms: harmful, dangerous
    It’s safe to eat this.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.
  3. Providing protection from danger; providing shelter.
    We have to find a safe spot, where we can hide out until this is over.
  4. (baseball) When a batter successfully reaches first base, or when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base or returns to the base he last occupied; not out.
    The pitcher attempted to pick off the runner at first, but he was safe.
  5. (snooker, of an object ball) In a location that renders it difficult to pot.
  6. Properly secured.
    Synonym: secure
    Hyponyms: binary-safe, fail-safe, thread-safe, type-safe
    The documents are safe.
  7. (used after a noun, often forming a compound) Not susceptible to a specified source of harm.
    dishwasher-safe
  8. (UK, slang) Great, cool, awesome, respectable; a term of approbation, often as interjection.
    Synonyms: wicked, cool; see also Thesaurus:awesome
    • 1996 August 12, "Mandrake", “Re: Multiple Messages - an apology”, in uk.people.gothic‎[1] (Usenet):
      and you also forgot to mentioned[sic] the wheels man you know bmw playing / ragga jungle hip hop tunes / and on the mobile / yeah safe! / nice one / later
    • 1996 or 1997, Roy Williams, Plays 1: The No Boys Cricket Club / Startstruck / Lift Off‎[2], Methuen, published 2002, →ISBN, page 165:
      Young Mal: Yu can’t. Irie means yer cool, yer safe, everything awright.
    • 2000, Teddy Hayes, Dead by Popular Demand‎[3], Justin, Charles & Co., published 2005, →ISBN, Chapter 14, page 134:
      “If you need more, just ring, yeah?” Punch said.
      “Safe,” Brian answered.
    • 2002, Danny Braverman, Playing a Part: Drama and Citizenship‎[4], Trentham Books, →ISBN, One Thursday — a short play, page 62:
      They end the call. Fami goes over to Paul. They touch hands.¶ Femi: Yeah, safe man.
    • 2013, Steve Carter, Love, Sex and Tesco's Finest Cava, →ISBN, page 169:
      “Yeah, safe mate, wassup?” says one hoodie, who should at least be credited with attempting a more detailed sentence construction.
    • 2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane:
      Dom (David Jonsson): Hey, love the photos. They're just so—
      Nathan (Simon Manyonda): Safe.
  9. (slang) Lenient, usually describing a teacher that is easy-going.
    Synonyms: easy-going, merciful, tolerant, lenient
    Antonyms: strict, harsh, intolerant
  10. Reliable; trusty.
    Synonym: trustworthy
  11. Cautious.
  12. (programming) Of a programming language, type-safe or more generally offering well-defined behavior despite programming errors.

Antonyms

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Descendants

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  • → Japanese: セーフ

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

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safe (plural safes)

  1. A box, usually made of metal, in which valuables can be locked for safekeeping.
  2. (slang) A condom.
    • 1989 August 19, Gerard L. Ready, “Possessing A Condom Is An Offense!”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 6, page 4:
      Condoms ARE available, on the underground market, at the outrageous price of ten dollars a piece! Now, I do not mind paying ten bucks for a good piece, as well as some peace of mind, but even the mere possession of these 'safes' is a disciplinary offense!
    • 1999, Rita Ciresi, Pink Slip, Delta, published 1999, →ISBN, page 328:
      She'd better have an arsenal of Trojans in her purse just in case he wasn't carrying a safe in his back pocket.
  3. (dated) A ventilated or refrigerated chest or closet for securing provisions from noxious animals or insects.
    • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 29:
      The other room was a kitchen, with an open fireplace, a safe, a dresser and a tin sink, with a tap from the tank outside.
  4. (dated, colloquial) A safety bicycle.

Synonyms

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Hyponyms

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Descendants

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Translations

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Verb

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safe (third-person singular simple present safes, present participle safing, simple past and past participle safed)

  1. (transitive) To make something safe.
    • 2007, Rocky Raab, Mike Five Eight: Air War Over Cambodia: Air War Over Cambodia‎[5]:
      “It just trails behind the pylon until I land, then Cramer removes it when he safes the rocket pods. No evidence of anything when I taxi back inside the compound.”
    • 2012, Erik Seedhouse, Interplanetary Outpost:
      One of the most important events after touchdown will be to safe the Dauntless, which will include purging the engines and shutting down the landing systems […]

Derived terms

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Terms derived from safe (adjective, noun, verb)

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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German

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Etymology

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English safe, originally borrowed in the context of safe sex (safer Sex, 1980s), later generalized.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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safe (strong nominative masculine singular safer, comparative safer, superlative am safesten)

  1. safe
    Synonym: sicher
    • 2022 May 18, Leif Erik Sander, quotee, “Corona: Warum sich manche noch nicht angesteckt haben”, in Der Spiegel‎[6], →ISSN:
      Dass man Corona bisher nicht hatte, heißt nicht, dass man für alle Zeit safe ist.
      Just because someone hasn't had corona yet doesn't mean that they're safe forever.

Declension

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Positive forms of safe
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist safe sie ist safe es ist safe sie sind safe
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative safer safe safes safe
genitive safen safer safen safer
dative safem safer safem safen
accusative safen safe safes safe
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der safe die safe das safe die safen
genitive des safen der safen des safen der safen
dative dem safen der safen dem safen den safen
accusative den safen die safe das safe die safen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein safer eine safe ein safes (keine) safen
genitive eines safen einer safen eines safen (keiner) safen
dative einem safen einer safen einem safen (keinen) safen
accusative einen safen eine safe ein safes (keine) safen
Comparative forms of safe
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist safer sie ist safer es ist safer sie sind safer
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative saferer safere saferes safere
genitive saferen saferer saferen saferer
dative saferem saferer saferem saferen
accusative saferen safere saferes safere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der safere die safere das safere die saferen
genitive des saferen der saferen des saferen der saferen
dative dem saferen der saferen dem saferen den saferen
accusative den saferen die safere das safere die saferen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein saferer eine safere ein saferes (keine) saferen
genitive eines saferen einer saferen eines saferen (keiner) saferen
dative einem saferen einer saferen einem saferen (keinen) saferen
accusative einen saferen eine safere ein saferes (keine) saferen
Superlative forms of safe
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am safesten sie ist am safesten es ist am safesten sie sind am safesten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative safester safeste safestes safeste
genitive safesten safester safesten safester
dative safestem safester safestem safesten
accusative safesten safeste safestes safeste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der safeste die safeste das safeste die safesten
genitive des safesten der safesten des safesten der safesten
dative dem safesten der safesten dem safesten den safesten
accusative den safesten die safeste das safeste die safesten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein safester eine safeste ein safestes (keine) safesten
genitive eines safesten einer safesten eines safesten (keiner) safesten
dative einem safesten einer safesten einem safesten (keinen) safesten
accusative einen safesten eine safeste ein safestes (keine) safesten

Adverb

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safe

  1. (youth slang) definitely, absolutely, sure
    Synonyms: sicher, auf jeden Fall
    "Willst du 'nen Film gucken?" -"Safe!" ― "Wanna watch a movie?" -"Sure!"
    Ich werde es safe vergessen. ― I'll definitely forget it.
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Further reading

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Hausa

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /sáː.fé/
    • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA(key): [sáː.ɸé]

Adverb

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sāfe

  1. in the morning

Middle English

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Etymology 1

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Adjective

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safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Preposition

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safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Conjunction

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safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Etymology 2

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Verb

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safe

  1. (Northern) Alternative form of saven

Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • Rhymes: (Brazil) -afi, (Portugal) -afɨ
  • Hyphenation: sa‧fe

Verb

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safe

  1. inflection of safar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Romanian

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Noun

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safe n (plural safeuri)

  1. Alternative form of seif

Declension

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singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative safe safeul safeuri safeurile
genitive-dative safe safeului safeuri safeurilor
vocative safeule safeurilor
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