safety net

noun

1. a large net rigged between a person, as a trapeze performer, and the ground as protection in a fall.

2. something that provides a margin of protection or security.

   the safety net of federal credit for financial institutions.

safety net

noun

1. a net used in a circus to catch high-wire and trapeze artistes if they fall

2. any means of protection from hardship or loss, such as insurance

Other Word Forms

• safety-net adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of safety net¹

First recorded in 1945–50