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
-
(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
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(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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securementnoun
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securenessnoun
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securernoun
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supersecurenessnoun
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unsecurenessnoun
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resecureverb
-
presecureverb (used with object)
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oversecureadjective
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quasi-secureadjective
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securableadjective
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supersecureadjective
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unsecureadjective
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well-securedadjective
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oversecurelyadverb
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quasi-securelyadverb
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securelyadverb
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supersecurelyadverb
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unsecurelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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securesimple
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securessimple
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have securedperfect
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has securedperfect
-
am securingprogressive
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are securingprogressive
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is securingprogressive
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have been securingperfect progressive
-
has been securingperfect progressive
Past
-
securedsimple
-
had securedperfect
-
was securingprogressive
-
were securingprogressive
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had been securingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
On Thursday, after the 2-1 loss, a combined effort involving the club's sporting directors, head coach Xabi Alonso and co-owner Behdad Eghbali helped secure a deal.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In October 2025, a federal judge sentenced the music mogul to four years and two months behind bars while denying renewed efforts by his legal team to secure his release pending appeal.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Fans in New York unable to secure -- or afford -- a ticket to the final flocked to quirky watch parties.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Jaya laced the strap through the buckle and tightened it until the tool belt was snug and secure across her chest.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
By the time of his silver jubilee in 1935, the position of this reimagined British monarchy was securer than it had ever been.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2022
In general, it was not a year in which the older novelists made their reputations securer.
From Time Magazine Archive
My experience has been that with the single exception mentioned, I have felt securer in the buckskin.
From Camp and Trail by White, Stewart Edward
It is not for himself, primarily, that he demands larger liberties, securer rights, more humanizing conditions of life; but it is for his fellow-men.
From Essays on Scandinavian Literature by Boyesen, Hjalmar Hjorth
“No, I don’t,” said Swickey, releasing his hand as they came to securer footing.
From Lost Farm Camp by Knibbs, Harry Herbert
The securest hold was Adam Sandler's: his Grown Ups fell a negligible 14%.
From Time ● Jul. 11, 2010
Even threaten the securest position, when long continued.
From Time Magazine Archive
Vickers, the securest of Otellos onstage, does not always seem comfort able on vinyl.
From Time Magazine Archive
Asserted one of Thatcher's aides: "It's going to stimulate the economy, and expansion is the securest form of revenue."
From Time Magazine Archive
Next she observed the care with which he wrote in his note book Annie’s directions about her commission, and how he deposited the precious ball in his securest pocket.
From The Billow and the Rock by Wheeler, E.J.
It does fit in with one of Andy Burnham's missions of reindustrialisation by encouraging the kind of investment that brings and secures jobs.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
And it secures him a spot in the club of executives making $100 million or more, a group that remains rare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Unless a mayoral candidate secures a majority of the vote, the top two face off in a second round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
NV Energy insists it will continue providing service while Liberty secures its own supply.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
Eventually, though, she secures her newborn in the den and heads back to the bamboo thicket to feast—crucial for her own survival as well as her cub’s.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
In 2024, Bedfordshire Police secured European arrest warrants for the pair to have them returned from Romania when proceedings against them there conclude.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Soon after entering Disneyland, I secured an 11:50 a.m. slot on my favorite ride, Space Mountain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
As a sign of investor confidence, Ivory Coast last week secured in July $80 billion in international public financing -- four times more than expected -- for its 2026–2030 National Development Plan.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Burnham was officially declared Labour Party leader on Friday following a short contest in which he was the only candidate, having secured the backing of 379 MPs.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Gibby finally secured it for him, laughing, which made Michael sink farther into his seat.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Ben Duckett hits a record-breaking 141 to help England beat India by 27 runs in a thrilling series decider at Lord's, with the victory also securing a 2-1 series win.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The U.S. is outspending Europe in securing critical minerals outside China, raising fears that Europe will remain dependent on Chinese supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Burnham is expected to be crowned Labour's leader on Friday after securing overwhelming support from the party's 403 MPs and the backing of major trade unions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
While Russia managed to guard its upstream assets from Chinese ownership, Beijing held the upper hand on pricing, securing a heavily discounted rate tied to oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
As Adams saw it, he had been prepared, by both experience and training, to perform a central role in the unfolding drama of winning and securing the American Revolution.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
