Showing results for "save"

• a variation of Sava.

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• save
  save

  verb (used with object)

  to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss.
• Save
  Save

  noun

  Sava.

save

¹ American  

[sayv] / seɪv /

verb (used with object)

• saves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• saved,
  past participle,  past
• saving
  present participle

1. to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss.

   to save someone from drowning.

   Synonyms:

   salvage

2. to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve.

   God save the king.

3. to keep from being lost to an opponent.

   A goal in the final minute saved the game.

4. to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of.

   to save fuel.

5. to keep, as for reuse.

   to save leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

6. to set aside, reserve, or lay by.

   to save money.

   Synonyms:

   husband, store up

7. to treat carefully in order to reduce wear, fatigue, etc..

   to save one's eyes by reading under proper light.

8. to prevent the occurrence, use, or necessity of; obviate.

   to come early in order to save waiting.

9. Theology. to deliver from the power and consequences of sin.

10. Computers. to copy (a file or other data) to a storage medium, as from RAM to a disk.

11. Sports. to stop (a ball or puck) from entering one's goal.

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verb (used without object)

• saves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• saved,
  past participle,  past
• saving
  present participle

1. to lay up money as the result of economy or thrift.

   Synonyms:

   hoard, economize

2. to be economical in expenditure.

3. to preserve something from harm, injury, loss, etc.

4. to keep or last without spoiling, as food.

noun

• saves
  plural

1. an act or instance of saving, especially in sports.

   The goalie guarded the net well and made a crucial save.

2. Baseball. a statistical credit given a relief pitcher for preserving a team's victory by holding its lead in a game.

3. Computers.

   1. an act of copying a file or other data to a storage medium.

      The server is scheduled to execute a systemwide save at the end of the work day.

   2. one version of a saved file.

      We can recover the lost data if we restore it from a previous save.

save ² American  

[sayv] / seɪv /

preposition

1. except; but.

   All the guests had left save one.

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conjunction

1. except; but (usually followed bythat ).

   He would have gone, save that he had no means.

Save ³ American  

[sah-vuh] / ˈsɑ və /

noun

1. Sava.

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save ¹ British  

/ seɪv /

verb

1. (tr) to rescue, preserve, or guard (a person or thing) from danger or harm

2. to avoid the spending, waste, or loss of (money, possessions, etc)

3. (tr) to deliver from sin; redeem

4. (often foll by up) to set aside or reserve (money, goods, etc) for future use

5. (tr) to treat with care so as to avoid or lessen wear or degeneration

   use a good light to save your eyes

6. (tr) to prevent the necessity for; obviate the trouble of

   good work now will save future revision

7. (tr) sport to prevent (a goal) by stopping (a struck ball or puck)

8. (intr) (of food) to admit of preservation; keep

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noun

1. sport the act of saving a goal

2. computing an instruction to write information from the memory onto a tape or disk

save ² British  

/ seɪv /

preposition

1. Also: saving. (often foll by for) with the exception of

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conjunction

1. but; except

save Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing save

• penny saved is a penny earned
• rainy day, save for a
• scrimp and save
• to save one's life

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Usage

What is a basic definition of save? Save means to rescue from danger, to lessen the use of something, or to set something aside for later. Save has many other uses, especially as a verb and a noun. If you save someone, you prevent them from being harmed or injured. Nonliving things can also be saved from destruction or damage. A person who saves someone or something else can be called a savior.

• Real-life examples: Superheroes save the world from supervillains and disasters. Firefighters often save people from burning buildings. A gardener may need to save their plants from hungry animals.
• Used in a sentence: We managed to gather support and save the park from being bulldozed. 

When you save gas or save time, you are lowering the amount that you usually spend. Things that lower the amount of stuff needed are called savers with another noun describing what is being saved, as in time saver. The noun saving, meaning a reduction, is based on this sense of save.

• Real-life examples: Many people want to save money they spend on gas by buying fuel-efficient cars. Using a calculator to solve math problems saves time and stress involved with doing the math in your head. You can save water by turning off the sink while brushing your teeth.
• Used in a sentence: I think our country will save money on energy if we switch to solar power. 

Save can also mean to keep something for later. For example, many people save money for a special thing they want to buy or so they have some available in case of an emergency. The word savings is used to refer to money saved for future need.

• Real-life examples: People often save leftover food to eat later rather than throw it away. Some people save food, water, and other supplies in case of emergencies. Hospitals may save emergency supplies of blood and medicine so they don’t run out.
• Used in a sentence: I am saving my funniest jokes for the talent show. 

Synonym Usage

See except ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• savableness
  noun
• saveableness
  noun
• saver
  noun
• savable
  adjective
• saveable
  adjective
• unsavable
  adjective
• unsaveable
  adjective
• unsaved
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• saves
  plural

Participles

• saving
  present
• saved
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• save
  simple
• saves
  simple
• have saved
  perfect
• has saved
  perfect
• am saving
  progressive
• are saving
  progressive
• is saving
  progressive
• have been saving
  perfect progressive
• has been saving
  perfect progressive

Past

• saved
  simple
• had saved
  perfect
• was saving
  progressive
• were saving
  progressive
• had been saving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will save
  simple
• will have saved
  perfect
• will be saving
  progressive
• will have been saving
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of save¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English sa(u)ven, from Old French sauver, salver, from Late Latin salvāre “to save”; see origin at safe

Origin of save²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sauue, sauf, save, variant of safe

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Explanation

To save is to keep safe. So, you might save money for college, save a kitten from drowning, or save a dropped football. You can save a choking person by giving them the Heimlich maneuver, or save a stray puppy from running into the street. There are other ways to save things, too, like when you keep them for later: "You can eat your brownie, but I'll save mine until after dinner." Or when you spend less money: "I'll save by buying this at the used book store." The Latin root is salvus, "safe."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

save Save saves saved saving

The series centres on the adventures of green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

It also would require the state to save more in years when tax revenues are high, helping to weather economic ups and downs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

What about the people who aren’t worried about whether their retirement savings will last 20 or 30 years because they never had the opportunity to save in the first place?

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

Livieri, 55, is one of a handful of biologists pulling night shifts across the Great Plains to save the black-footed ferret from extinction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Lala, you will have to make a choice: save the boy or save the movement.”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The milquetoast Pod Save America boys made him a recurring guest; California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to drop by the stream.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

Save for college, but never ahead of your own retirement.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Save Our Reds said habitat loss and weak enforcement of existing protections were adding to the problem.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Appeared in the October 9, 2026, print edition as 'John Sununu Wants to Save Social Security'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

“Oh we’ll be locked in here until Cluny gets back. I don’t want to face him again! Do something, Matthias! Save me!”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

"It saves probers hours and hours of standing shoulder to shoulder and poking in the snow, and also exposing themselves to secondary avalanche hazards," Ward said.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

It says it saves nearly $4 million a year by having the trucks drive themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

“When adversity hits and the finger-pointing begins, it’s your chemistry that saves you,” Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

In a milieu where every fold and crease, every millimeter of negative draft or change of curvature, adds cost, the S5 saves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

He saves money, he saves disfigured sticks that resemble disfigured celebrities, and, most of all, he saves food.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Roughly 47% of Americans say they have less than $100,000 saved for retirement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

It was not just of one individual or group that saved American democracy.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

How did Carrick feel when the penalty was saved?

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Financial insecurity in old age isn’t just a concern for people who haven’t saved enough.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

“He saved us from that stinky lab guy. And he got Missus Quickness from the roof last weekend.”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

The debate over permanent daylight saving time has gained momentum in Washington, D.C.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

There's a danger that we can think we're saving lives at times, but we also realise how important it is.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

We’ve already accepted a surprisingly elaborate set of conditions for saving money on groceries.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

As a result, the saving rate—the share of income left over after spending—dropped from 5.1% to 3.8%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

My older sister Maggie and Sean’s brother Francey were saving every bit they could to get married.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

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Related Words

• collect
• conserve
• keep
• maintain
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• store

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