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

He said it would enable the building of a "vital safety net" and provide a democratically accountable means to "halt a runaway system before it can compromise our critical national infrastructure".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Also, as a single parent, she was very aware of ‘anything can happen,’ and she wanted us to have a safety net if, God forbid, something happened,” Avery said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The IMF attributes China’s excess saving to a range of structural factors, such as an inadequate safety net and a fiscal system that taxes households too heavily and thus depresses their consumption.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

If Acme won’t budge, small-estate probate could provide a more-than-adequate safety net.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

He speeds off down the street, taking my family’s safety net with him.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas