safeguard
Americannoun
-
safeguards
plural
-
something that serves as a protection or defense or that ensures safety.
-
a permit for safe passage.
-
a guard or convoy.
-
a mechanical device for ensuring safety.
verb (used with object)
-
safeguards,
present (3rd person singular)
-
safeguarded,
past participle, past
-
safeguarding
present participle
noun
-
a person or thing that ensures protection against danger, damage, injury, etc
-
a document authorizing safe-conduct
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
safeguardsimple
-
safeguardssimple
-
have safeguardedperfect
-
has safeguardedperfect
-
am safeguardingprogressive
-
are safeguardingprogressive
-
is safeguardingprogressive
-
have been safeguardingperfect progressive
-
has been safeguardingperfect progressive
Past
-
safeguardedsimple
-
had safeguardedperfect
-
was safeguardingprogressive
-
were safeguardingprogressive
-
had been safeguardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of safeguard
1325–75; Middle English savegarde (noun) safe conduct < Middle French salvegarde, sauvegarde. See safe, guard
Explanation
A safeguard is a defense or precaution. You could describe a flu shot as a safeguard against getting sick, for example. Safeguards protect against something negative, whether it's an attacking army invading a country or a boy you don't like much asking you to the prom. A store's security system is a safeguard against theft, and a secret password is a safeguard against your sister reading your email. You can use it as a verb too: "We clearly need to safeguard our Halloween candy so Mom and Dad don't steal it after we go to bed."
Vocabulary lists containing safeguard
Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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!
Herbert Hoover on "Rugged Individualism" (1928)
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!
A Single Shard
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:
“Our team is dedicated to minimizing any adverse effects on voters, and we will work diligently to safeguard their ability to make their voices heard and ensure their votes are properly recorded,” Logan said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
In Tuesday's court order, the panel wrote: "We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation... to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of the prisoner."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Other comments came from people who described themselves as ordinary investors upset that they would lose a key safeguard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation... to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of persons in custody," the panel wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
In this way, he was able to safeguard the entire text from the authorities and smuggle it out when he was released in 1976.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley said the company has patched security vulnerabilities and introduced new safeguards to prevent misuse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Some have demanded the city more thoroughly investigate whether municipal finances or policies were compromised and enact safeguards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
In a separate order, the top court on Tuesday ordered tighter welfare safeguards for India's more than 2,600 captive elephants, including ensuring medical records for each animal and regular health checks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
In a blog post, external, the ChatGPT-maker said it was introducing new measures after its AI agents autonomously bypassed safeguards and hacked the tech start-up Hugging Face.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
These kinds of investigations hint at a larger reality in the Ecuadorean province, where modern life bends around an ecosystem so fiercely safeguarded that wildlife effectively holds legal right of way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
"Our national heritage and environment must be safeguarded from greed and unnecessary destruction without public participation," he added.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The executive pointed to China, as well as Japan and South Korea—which both allow the sale of Chinese cars—as examples of countries that successfully safeguarded their domestic auto industries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Of the 38 vulnerable people safeguarded and referred to agencies, nine of them were children.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
We cautiously removed the heavy stone that safeguarded Rosa’s eternal rest and slid the white coffin from its niche.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
The charity said in 2025 it had improved its safeguarding processes both in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and institutionally.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“We view compliance as a fundamental priority and are fully committed to safeguarding consumer rights and building lasting trust,” said Jiazhen Zhao, co-chairman and co-chief executive of PDD.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Sheriff Martinez said Tuesday that while ICE’s primary mission is enforcing federal immigration law, CBP is focused on safeguarding borders and economic prosperity at ports of entry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
On Wednesday, Shaw had not yet had an opportunity to review the book-policy complaint, but said both policies ultimately look out for children by safeguarding the rights of parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
But her main accomplishment may have been inadvertently to keep new ideas about Amazonian history from the public eye—ideas about its past that may, according to their advocates, play a role in safeguarding its future.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
