safety
Very High (A2)Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
The condition of being protected from, or unlikely to cause, danger, risk, or injury.
The state of being safe; freedom from danger or harm. Also refers to measures or devices designed to prevent accidents or injury, or (in sports) a defensive play that scores points.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an uncountable noun, but can be countable when referring to specific measures or devices ('safety features'). Often conceptualized as a state to be achieved or maintained. The word inherently implies the existence of a potential threat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor lexical preferences. BrE tends to use 'safety' slightly more in institutional names (e.g., 'Health and Safety Executive'). AmE uses it more in compound nouns related to firearms ('safety catch'). In sports (American football), 'safety' has a specific scoring meaning not used in BrE sports.
Connotations
Similar strong positive connotations in both varieties. In public discourse, BrE often associates it with workplace and public regulations, while AmE can have a stronger association with personal/home security and gun safety.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties. Slight edge to AmE in media due to frequent discussion of 'public safety' and 'safety regulations'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N for N (safety of the workers)N from N (safety from harm)Adj + N (occupational safety)V + N (ensure safety)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Better safe than sorry (related concept)”
- “Safety in numbers”
- “A safety net”
- “Play it safe”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to compliance with regulations, workplace conditions, and product liability (e.g., 'The company's safety record is excellent.').
Academic
Used in engineering, psychology, public policy, and medicine to discuss risk assessment, protocols, and wellbeing (e.g., 'The study reviewed pedestrian safety interventions.').
Everyday
Concerns personal wellbeing, home security, travel, and children's welfare (e.g., 'Wear a helmet for your safety.').
Technical
Specific standards in engineering, aviation, chemistry, and data security (e.g., 'The valve is a critical fail-safe safety mechanism.').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The engineer will safety-check the system.
- The procedure is designed to safety the process.
American English
- He safetied the rifle before putting it away.
- The new software update safeties the data transfer.
adverb
British English
- The driver pulled over safety.
- The package was delivered safety.
American English
- The children crossed the street safety.
- The data was stored safety.
adjective
British English
- A safety inspector visited the site.
- The safety briefing is mandatory.
American English
- The safety officer issued a warning.
- Always read the safety instructions first.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Your safety is important.
- Wear a seatbelt for safety.
- Is it safe? I am worried about safety.
- The factory has improved its safety standards.
- Parents are concerned about the safety of the playground equipment.
- The guide talked about fire safety.
- Stringent safety protocols prevented a major accident.
- The report questioned the long-term safety of the new drug.
- Debates about online safety are increasingly common.
- The aviation authority's primary mandate is to ensure the absolute safety of all flights.
- Critics argued that the economic reforms were implemented with little regard for social safety nets.
- The study's ethical approval hinged on demonstrable participant safety.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SAFE. A safety is what keeps you or things SAFE. SAFE-ty.
Conceptual Metaphor
SAFETY IS A CONTAINER ('within the safety of the walls'), SAFETY IS UP ('safety standards are high'), SAFETY IS A SHIELD ('a shield of safety').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите как 'безопасность' во всех контекстах, где в русском используется 'сохранность' (safekeeping) или 'надёжность' (reliability).
- В сочетаниях типа 'safety pin' или 'safety match' это не 'безопасность', а конкретное устройство — 'английская булавка', 'безопасная спичка'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'safety' as an adjective instead of 'safe' (e.g., 'This car is safety' – INCORRECT; 'This is a safe car' – CORRECT).
- Using plural unnecessarily ('safeties') for the uncountable concept ('We discussed safety').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'safety' most likely to be a countable noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable. It becomes countable when referring to specific devices or features (e.g., 'The gun has two safeties') or in American football.
'Safety' generally refers to protection from accidental or unintentional harm (e.g., fires, falls). 'Security' often refers to protection from deliberate threats like crime, attack, or espionage.
Yes, but it is rare and technical. It means to make safe or to apply a safety device (e.g., 'He safetied the explosive charge'). The adjective 'safe' and verb 'safeguard' are more common.
It is a scoring play worth two points, awarded to the defensive team when the ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone, or when a foul is committed by the offensive team in its own end zone.