secure
Americanadjective
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free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- Antonyms:
- unsafe
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dependable; firm; not liable to fail, yield, become displaced, etc., as a support or a fastening.
The building was secure, even in an earthquake.
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affording safety, as a place.
He needed a secure hideout.
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in safe custody or keeping.
Here in the vault the necklace was secure.
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free from care; without anxiety.
emotionally secure.
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firmly established, as a relationship or reputation.
He earned a secure place among the baseball immortals.
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sure; certain; assured.
secure of victory;
secure in religious belief.
- Synonyms:
- confident
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safe from penetration or interception by unauthorized persons.
secure radio communications between army units.
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Archaic. overconfident.
verb (used with object)
-
to get hold or possession of; procure; obtain.
to secure materials;
to secure a high government position.
- Synonyms:
- gain
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to free from danger or harm; make safe.
Sandbags secured the town during the flood.
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to effect; make certain of; ensure.
The novel secured his reputation.
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to make firm or fast, as by attaching.
to secure a rope.
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Finance.
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to assure payment of (a debt) by pledging property.
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to assure (a creditor) of payment by the pledge or mortgaging of property.
-
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to lock or fasten against intruders.
to secure the doors.
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to protect from attack by taking cover, by building fortifications, etc..
The regiment secured its position.
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to capture (a person or animal).
No one is safe until the murderer is secured.
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to tie up (a person), especially by binding the person's arms or hands; pinion.
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to guarantee the privacy or secrecy of.
to secure diplomatic phone conversations.
verb (used without object)
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to be or become safe; have or obtain security.
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Nautical.
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to cover openings and make movable objects fast.
The crew was ordered to secure for sea.
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to be excused from duty.
to secure from general quarters.
-
adjective
-
free from danger, damage, etc
-
free from fear, care, etc
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in safe custody
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not likely to fail, become loose, etc
-
able to be relied on; certain
a secure investment
-
nautical stowed away or made inoperative
-
archaic careless or overconfident
verb
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(tr) to obtain or get possession of
I will secure some good seats
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to make or become free from danger, fear, etc
-
(tr) to make fast or firm; fasten
-
to make or become certain; guarantee
this plan will secure your happiness
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(tr) to assure (a creditor) of payment, as by giving security
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(tr) to make (a military position) safe from attack
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nautical to make (a vessel or its contents) safe or ready by battening down hatches, stowing gear, etc
-
(tr) nautical to stow or make inoperative
to secure the radio
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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securelyadverb
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supersecureadjective
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securernoun
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securableadjective
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securementnoun
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securenessnoun
-
quasi-secureadjective
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supersecurelyadverb
-
presecureverb (used with object)
-
quasi-securelyadverb
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oversecurelyadverb
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supersecurenessnoun
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unsecureadjective
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unsecurelyadverb
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well-securedadjective
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oversecureadjective
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unsecurenessnoun
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resecureverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have securedperfect
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has securedperfect 3rd person singular
-
has been securingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been securingperfect progressive
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am securingprogressive 1st person singular
-
securingparticiple
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securessingular 3rd person
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are securingprogressive
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is securingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had securedperfect
-
was securingprogressive singular
-
had been securingperfect progressive
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were securingprogressive plural
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securedparticiple
-
securedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of secure
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin sēcūrus “carefree,” equivalent to sē- se- + cūr(a) “care” ( see cure) + -us, adjective suffix; cf. sure
Explanation
Secure means safe, protected. Your money is secure in a bank. Supportive friends and family make you feel secure. Secure can also be used as a verb. You secure the sails before you take out the sailboat, which means you tie them down. If you secure someone a ticket to a popular Broadway play, you've found them a hard-to-find seat. On an airplane, you're told that in the event you need an oxygen mask, you should secure yours — get it in place — before helping someone else. Almost all meanings contain the idea of safety: making sure things are right.
Vocabulary lists containing secure
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The project was funded under the Helmholtz "Engineering Secure Systems" topic.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
The Secure 2.0 Act, passed in 2022, increased the limit for small account balances from $5,000 to $7,000.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Foster notes that Snow Secure was essential in making sure Sun Peaks met its opening date.
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
QNX is expected to generate between $60 million and $64 million, and Secure Communications about $66 million to $70 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
They had explained away Harry’s long absences at Hogwarts over the last three years by telling everyone that he went to St. Brutus’s Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
