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factor of safety

American

noun

the ratio of the maximum stress that a structural part or other piece of material can withstand to the maximum stress estimated for it in the use for which it is designed.

factor of safety British

noun

Also called: safety factor. the ratio of the breaking stress of a material or structure to the calculated maximum stress when in use

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of factor of safety

First recorded in 1855–60

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:

factor of safety

“Metro added a 20% factor of safety to this rate to arrive at a proposed inspection interval of every eight days per wheelset,” she wrote.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 4, 2021

The regulations and factor of safety requirements aren’t as strict because, if it fails, no one is going to die.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 31, 2015

“The factor of safety is now back to being a high criterion when selecting an airline.”

From Time ● Mar. 6, 2015

To determine the safe working pressure divide the bursting pressure of the weakest place by the factor of safety.

From Rough and Tumble Engineering by Maggard, James H.

A factor of safety of two is a fair allowance when loading threads.

From On Laboratory Arts by Threlfall, Richard

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023