fail-safe

[ feyl-seyf ]

/ ˈfeɪlˌseɪf /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for fail-safe on Thesaurus.com

adjective

Electronics. pertaining to or noting a mechanism built into a system, as in an early warning system or a nuclear reactor, for insuring safety should the system fail to operate properly.

equipped with a secondary system that insures continued operation even if the primary system fails.

(sometimes initial capital letter) of, relating to, or designating a system of coded military controls in which bombers dispatched to a prearranged point as part of a standard operating procedure cannot advance farther without direct orders from a designated authority and cannot have the nuclear warheads they carry armed until they have passed their prearranged point.

guaranteed to work; totally reliable: a fail-safe recipe for a cheese soufflé.

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter) the point beyond which the bombers cannot go without specific instruction; the fail-safe point.

something designed to work or function automatically to prevent breakdown of a mechanism, system, or the like.

verb (used with object), fail-safed, fail-saf·ing.

to make fail-safe.

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of fail-safe

First recorded in 1945–50; apparently from verb phrase to fail safe(ly)

Words nearby fail-safe

failed, failed star, failed state, failing, faille, fail-safe, fail-soft, failure, failure to thrive, fain, fainaigue

How to use fail-safe in a sentence

The Big Five banks dubbed too big to fail, are 35 percent bigger than they were when the meltdown was triggered.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton|Eleanor Clift|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And it must make sure that the platform of debate where we can freely exchange ideas is safe and sound.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They called for peace, reconciliation, and the safe return of Father Gregorio.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their leader, Njie, still going by “Dave” during the operation, would stay a safe distance away until the State House was secure.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Diets not only fail to make us thinner, they also fail to make us healthier in the long term.
Why Your New Year’s Diet Will Fail|Carrie Arnold|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A desultory conversation on politics, in which neither took the slightest interest, was a safe neutral ground.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The governor of the fortress was provided with a safe residence in Egypt, and an annual pension of 75,000 piasters.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Could this be the safe old house in which childish days had passed, in which all around were always friendly and familiar faces?
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
It would make everyone careful, of course, but I fail to see any grievance in that.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The truth is, it is not safe to trot down such mountains and hardly to ride down them at all.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for fail-safe

fail-safe

adjective

designed to return to a safe condition in the event of a failure or malfunction

(of a nuclear weapon) capable of being deactivated in the event of a failure or accident

unlikely to fail; foolproof

verb

(intr) to return to a safe condition in the event of a failure or malfunction

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

fail-safe

Origin of fail-safe

Words nearby fail-safe

Words related to fail-safe

How to use fail-safe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fail-safe