haven
Americannoun
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a harbor or port.
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any place of shelter and safety; refuge; asylum.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a port, harbour, or other sheltered place for shipping
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a place of safety or sanctuary; shelter
verb
Usage
What is a haven? A haven is any safe place, as in The woods can be a haven from a busy world. A safe place is the most common meaning of haven and can be used in many ways. For example, something can be a haven for a person (like your bedroom might be), for a particular behavior (as in a haven for corruption), or for a belief or religion. A haven can be a place safe from something negative or dangerous or a place safe for something negative or dangerous. A haven is also a harbor or port. In other words, it’s a place for a ship or other seagoing vehicle to dock safely or take refuge in during a storm. Haven appears in the phrase safe haven. A safe haven is a safe place for someone or something who is threatened. Haven also appears in the phrase tax haven. This is a location that has very low taxation rates for outside investors. The idea is that a tax haven provides a shelter from taxation. Example: My bedroom is a haven of peace in the midst of the chaos of Christmas decoration prep.
Related Words
See harbor.
Other Word Forms
- havenless adjective
- havenward adverb
Etymology
Origin of haven
First recorded before 1050; Middle English; Old English hæfen; cognate with Dutch haven, German Hafen, Old Norse hǫfn; akin to Old English hæf, Old Norse haf sea
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 CGL was a haven for the most serious weeknight warriors in the Upper Midwest—and it was run by none other than the first Kon Knueppel, Kon II’s father.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Long a safe haven for investors, health insurers are struggling with growth as medical utilization has surged and the cost of care has gone up.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Cryptocurrencies had a good start to the conflict, behaving a bit like a haven, which may be one reason digital assets aren’t enjoying a bigger rebound now.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
In the wake of the war with Iran, the energy sector has since proven an even stronger haven for investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
School had always been a safe haven for him, and he’d counted on finding someone there who could give him a better idea of what was going on.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
