safety net
Americannoun
-
a large net rigged between a person, as a trapeze performer, and the ground as protection in a fall.
-
something that provides a margin of protection or security.
the safety net of federal credit for financial institutions.
noun
-
a net used in a circus to catch high-wire and trapeze artistes if they fall
-
any means of protection from hardship or loss, such as insurance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of safety net
First recorded in 1945–50
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 judge heard some victims had other savings and the plans had been intended as a safety net to save their children from worrying about their funeral costs.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
At that point, they arguably no longer need the government’s retirement safety net.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Some investors still see gold as a safety net, and are keeping it in their portfolios.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
They involve the slipperiness of truth and the crushing inadequacy of our mental-health system and social safety net.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The middle ring had a huge safety net stretched across it.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
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.
