8 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A safe course of action is one in which there is very little risk of loss or failure. □ Electricity shares are still a safe investment. ● safe|ly ADV □ We reveal only as much information as we can safely risk at a given time.
9 ADJ If you disapprove of something because you think it is not very exciting or original, you can describe it as safe . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …frustrated artists who became lawyers at an early age because it seemed a safe option. □ Rock'n'roll has become so commercialised and safe since punk.
10 ADJ If it is safe to say or assume something, you can say it with very little risk of being wrong. □ It is safe to say that very few students make an effort to do quality work in school. ● safe|ly ADV [ADV before v] □ I think you can safely say she will not be appearing in another of my films.
11 N‑COUNT A safe is a strong metal cupboard with special locks, in which you keep money, jewellery, or other valuable things. □ The files are now in a safe to which only he has the key.
12 → see also safely
13 PHRASE If you say that a person or thing is in safe hands , or is safe in someone's hands , you mean that they are being looked after by a reliable person and will not be harmed. □ I had a huge responsibility to ensure these packets remained in safe hands.
14 PHRASE If you play safe or play it safe , you do not take any risks. □ If you want to play safe, cut down on the amount of salt you eat.
15 PHRASE If you say you are doing something to be on the safe side , you mean that you are doing it in case something undesirable happens, even though this may be unnecessary. □ You might still want to go for an X-ray, however, just to be on the safe side.
16 PHRASE If you say ' it's better to be safe than sorry ', you are advising someone to take action in order to avoid possible unpleasant consequences later, even if this seems unnecessary. □ Don't be afraid to have this checked by a doctor–better safe than sorry!
17 PHRASE You say that someone is safe and sound when they are still alive or unharmed after being in danger. □ All I'm hoping for is that wherever my son is he will come home safe and sound.
18 a safe pair of hands → see pair
19 safe in the knowledge → see knowledge USAGE safe
When safe
is used to describe people, it is never used in front of a noun. Don’t say, for example, ‘
sa fe area (safe areas ) N‑COUNT If part of a country that is involved in a war is declared to be a safe area , neutral forces will try to keep peace there so that it is safe for people. □ The U.N. declared it a safe area.
sa fe co n|duct also safe-conduct N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If you are given safe conduct , the authorities officially allow you to travel somewhere, guaranteeing that you will not be arrested or harmed while doing so. □ [+ to/from ] Her family was given safe conduct to Britain when civil war broke out.
sa fe de|po s|it box (safe deposit boxes ) N‑COUNT A safe deposit box is a small box, usually kept in a special room in a bank, in which you can store valuable objects.
safe|guard /se I fgɑː r d/ (safeguards , safeguarding , safeguarded )
1 VERB To safeguard something or someone means to protect them from being harmed, lost, or badly treated. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] They will press for international action to safeguard the ozone layer. □ [V n + from ] …new guidelines to safeguard bill payers from future price rises.
2 N‑COUNT A safeguard is a law, rule, or measure intended to prevent someone or something from being harmed. □ [+ against ] Many people took second jobs as a safeguard against unemployment.
sa fe ha |ven (safe havens )
1 N‑COUNT If part of a country is declared a safe haven , people who need to escape from a dangerous situation such as a war can go there and be protected. □ Countries overwhelmed by the human tide of refugees want safe havens set up at once.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If a country provides safe haven for people from another country who have been in danger, it allows them to stay there under its official protection. [AM ] □ He tried to rescue his ship after being refused safe haven in a Spanish port.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A safe haven is a place, a situation, or an activity which provides people with an opportunity to escape from things that they find unpleasant or worrying. □ [+ from ] …the idea of the family as a safe haven from the brutal outside world.
sa fe house (safe houses ) also safe-house N‑COUNT You can refer to a building as a safe house when it is used as a place where someone can stay and be protected. Safe houses are often used by spies, criminals, or the police. □ [+ for ] …a farm which operates as a safe house for criminals on the run.
safe|keeping /se I fkiː p I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu for N ] If something is given to you for safekeeping , it is given to you so that you will make sure that it is not harmed or stolen. □ Hampton had been given the bills for safekeeping by a business partner.
safe|ly /se I fli/
1 ADV [usu ADV with v] If something is done safely , it is done in a way that makes it unlikely that anyone will be harmed. □ The waste is safely locked away until it is no longer radioactive. □ 'Drive safely,' he said and waved goodbye.
2 ADV [usu ADV with v] You also use safely to say that there is no risk of a situation being changed. □ Once events are safely in the past, this idea seems to become less alarming.