haven
Americannoun
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havens
plural
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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.
Synonym Usage
See harbor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Explanation
Need to find shelter, from the weather or from other troubles? Then you need a haven. Haven looks a lot like heaven, and the words have quite a bit in common. A haven isn't necessarily as wonderful as heaven is supposed to be, but it is a good place to find when you're in trouble or someone is after you. This word often appears in the phrase "safe haven," which is a good reminder of its meaning. A haven is a safe place, and people who are in trouble tend to seek havens.
Vocabulary lists containing haven
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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:
"We don't want Australia to become a safe haven for people who are undertaking foreign interference on behalf of other countries," Barrett said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
The extradition marks a significant concession from Emirati authorities, which for many years have been criticized for providing safe haven for international criminals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
CDs, as you know, are investment vehicles with set interest rates that attract people looking for a safe haven for their cash.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
"My garden, I always think is, is a haven of serenity and tranquillity for people," she said, adding that her favourite spot was the waterfall and pond.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
But those first few weeks, until we each peeled away, Monet’s Garden was our safe haven.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
In the Olympic hospitality pecking order, the premium lounges beat the leisure lounges and the hospitality pavilions, which provide shared havens for followers of multiple sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Museums are supposed to be havens for the collective cultural and scientific heritage of the planet, but specimens sometimes go missing.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
So much money has been flowing into bond mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, it’s making these usually safe havens increasingly risky.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
"If more and more of us create those havens, we'll have that kind of patchwork... all the way across the country," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Europe’s fragmentation did, and China’s unity didn’t, foster the advance of technology, science, and capitalism by fostering competition between states and providing innovators with alternative sources of support and havens from persecution.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
