salvage

American  

[sal-vij] / ˈsæl vɪdʒ /

noun

1. 1. the act of saving a ship or its cargo from perils of the seas.

   2. the property so saved.

   3. compensation given to those who voluntarily save a ship or its cargo.

2. 1. the act of saving anything from fire, danger, etc.

   2. the property so saved.

3. the value or proceeds upon sale of goods recovered from a shipwreck, fire, etc.

4. the act of saving something of use or value from destruction, damage, ruin, loss, or waste.

   The salvage of carcass parts for pharmaceutical or research use is permitted if it does not interfere with sanitary operations.

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verb (used with object)

salvaged, salvaging

1. to save or rescue (property) from shipwreck, fire, or other peril.

   Synonyms:

   recover, retrieve

2. to save from destruction, damage, ruin, or loss.

   A new achievement was the only way to salvage his reputation.

3. to preserve (a useful or valuable part) from something otherwise wasted, discarded, or deemed a failure: I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.

   We purchase end-of-life vehicles and salvage scrap metal.

   I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.

   The team has a chance to salvage some degree of glory from a dismal season.

salvage British  

/ ˈsælvɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act, process, or business of rescuing vessels or their cargoes from loss at sea

2. 1. the act of saving any goods or property in danger of damage or destruction

   2. ( as modifier )

      a salvage operation

3. the goods or property so saved

4. compensation paid for the salvage of a vessel or its cargo

5. the proceeds from the sale of salvaged goods or property

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verb

1. to save or rescue (goods or property) from fire, shipwreck, etc

2. to gain (something beneficial) from a failure

   she salvaged little from the broken marriage

Other Word Forms

• salvageable adjective
• salvager noun
• unsalvaged adjective

Etymology

Origin of salvage

First recorded in 1635–45; from Old French; save ¹, -age

Explanation

To salvage something is to save it...before it's too late. You might try to salvage your damaged reputation by defending yourself, or salvage a burnt piece of toast by scraping off the black residue. As a noun salvage is the act of rescuing stuff from a disaster like a shipwreck or fire — or the rescued goods themselves. As a verb, salvage means to collect or rescue that sort of item, or more generally to save something from harm or ruin. If you want to salvage your grade, you need to stop gaming so much and start studying more.

Example Sentences

It is not at all hard to believe that Melania would make a statement designed to salvage her own reputation, even if it simultaneously sells out her husband’s.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Kansanback recommends pulling a Carfax report of the vehicle’s history as a baseline to check for flood damage, serious accidents or a salvage title.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Tuesday and jumped into offensive mode, coordinating roof ventilation, fire suppression and salvage operations on the third floor, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

If things don’t go according to plan these days, activists will swoop in to salvage some value.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Here and there she managed to salvage a tomato, a handful of okra, a stunted yam.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• reclaim
• recover
• redeem
• regain
• restore
• retrieve