Meaning of “safe” in the English Dictionary

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"safe" in English

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safeadjective

uk ​ /seɪf/ us ​ /seɪf/

safe adjective (NOT IN DANGER)

A1 not in danger or likely to be harmed:

In some cities you don't feel safe going out alone at night.

B1 not harmed or damaged:

She said that all the hostages were safe.
safe and sound

C2 completely safe and without injury or damage:

After three days lost in the mountains, all the climbers arrived home safe and sound.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

safeness
noun [ U ] uk ​ /ˈseɪf.nəs/ us ​ /ˈseɪf.nəs/

›

I'm a little worried about the safeness of this machine for (= whether this machine will cause any danger to) children.

Idiom(s)

as safe as houses
in safe hands
it's safe to say (that)
(just) to be on the safe side

safenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /seɪf/ us ​ /seɪf/

(Definition of “safe” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"safe" in American English

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safeadjective

us ​ /seɪf/

safe adjective (FREE FROM DANGER)

› free from danger or harm, or not causing danger or harm:

Have a safe trip.
Is this medicine safe for children?
I feel safe here.

› Safe also means not involving any risk or disagreement:

She’s looking for some safer investments.
[ + to infinitive ] With most of the votes counted now, I think it’s safe to say that we won.

safe adjective (BASEBALL)

› [ not gradable ] (of a player in the game of baseball) having successfully reached a base

Idiom(s)

safe and sound
to be on the safe side

safenoun [ C ]

us ​ /seɪf/

safe noun [ C ] (BOX)

› a strong box, usually made of steel, with a door and lock, where valuable things, esp. money or jewels, can be kept

(Definition of “safe” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"safe" in Business English

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safeadjective

uk ​ /seɪf/ us ​

› STOCK MARKET, FINANCE not involving much risk:

His clients were told their money was being invested in safe Government bonds.
This is a relatively safe investment when markets are uncertain.
be safe to do sth For a while it was considered safe to invest in these "alternative" telecoms stocks.

› not causing harm to people:

safe working conditions
Around 44% of men and 27% of women drank more than the recommended safe level of alcohol.
It was important to have a safe place for children to play while their parents shopped.
safe for sb The public must have access to the building, but it must also be safe for those who work in it.
safe to buy/eat/use People are worried that the meat is not safe to eat.

› protected from problems or harm:

My manager assured me my job was safe.
keep sb safe from sth The operators of the rides must keep customers safe from personal injury.
a safe bet

› something that involves little risk:

Any investment in energy stock looks like a safe bet.

› something that will probably happen or is probably true:

It is a safe bet that if the video game industry had not come along, some of those billions of dollars would have been put into more traditional forms of entertainment.
be on the safe side

› to be careful and to make a choice that involves little risk:

Broadline Bank's spokesperson said that it would not be advertising on the controversial website "just to be on the safe side".
in safe hands

› being cared for or dealt with by someone who is skilled and has a lot of experience:

The shareholders were reassured that, with the new CEO in place, the company was in safe hands.
it's safe to say (that)

› used to say that you are confident about what you are going to say:

I think it's safe to say we expect the same kind of growth in the next quarter.

See also

play

safenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /seɪf/ us ​

› a strong box or room that can be locked, used for storing money or valuable things:

Was the safe locked?
a fireproof safe with a secure combination lock
put/keep sth in a safe The café manager put the money in the safe.

See also

night safe

(Definition of “safe” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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