safety net

American  

noun

safety nets plural

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.

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safety net British  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• safety-net
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• safety nets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of safety net

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

safety net

Social Security is fundamentally a safety net, not a personal retirement account.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

But for people who don't, lawyers say the proposals would provide a safety net.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The payments aim to provide a financial safety net for smaller slaughterhouses, which are losing an estimated $300 per head of cattle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Another "safety net" measure gives the European Commission, in charge of EU trade policy, the power to suspend the pact if the United States fails to meet its commitments or disrupts trade and investment.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

This story is the safety net above which he swoops and dives like a brilliant clown in a bankrupt circus.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy