savior
Americannoun
-
saviors
plural
-
a person who saves, rescues, or delivers.
the savior of the country.
-
(initial capital letter) a title of God, especially of Christ.
-
(initial capital letter) an epithet of Artemis.
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of savior
1250–1300; Middle English saveour, sauveur < Old French sauvëour < Late Latin salvātor, equivalent to Latin salvā ( re ) to save 1 + -tor -tor
Explanation
A savior is somebody who saves you. Say you're hanging by your fingernails from the ledge of a burning building. When the firefighter appears to carry you to safety, it would be appropriate to cry, "My savior has arrived!" If you rescue the rarely seen white-fanged mudslide chameleon from extinction, wildlife enthusiasts would no doubt call you the creature's savior. Savior, with a capital S, is one of the names Christians use for Jesus, Savior of the World, Lord and Savior, the one who saves souls. As you've no doubt noticed, the word savior is connected to the word save, — both words come from the Latin salvare, which means simply "to save."
Vocabulary lists containing savior
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words for Carolers
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Dudamel had gone from rising star to star to savior, seen as the conductor who brought new vitality to everything he touched.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“This is the savior for media, if they really focus on it,” said Brian Meehan, co-founder of Knocking, a Connecticut-based company that specializes in embedding e-commerce into TV and digital content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
He has turned into a savior in Snell’s absence, going 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
We could be the go-getter, the people pleaser, the co-dependent one, or even the savior.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
Our savior came for neither of these reasons, but because Bailey yelled so loud and disturbed what was left of the service, the minister’s wife came out and asked Uncle Willie to quiet us down.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
In the short term, the NBA’s worst teams—whether they mean to be or not—have one last batch of potential saviors awaiting them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
There are, however, some local saviors for music and movies.
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2025
Be suspicious of saviors, it says, and of those who offer to save you from the saviors.
From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé became AMC’s jumpsuit-clad saviors last year, helping the international theater chain continue to recover from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, driving “literally all” its quarterly revenue increase.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
It was like some land of prison-work farm for our liberal, white, vegetarian do-gooders and conservative, white missionary saviors.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
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.
