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; see origin at 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

Energy storage is one way to salvage part of that investment.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

It’s a race to salvage their power, their pride and prejudice.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

The study found pro repair signals involving immune modulation, blood vessel and lymphatic development, fibroblast activation, myocardial salvage, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and neurogenesis in rat models.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

The new head coach referred to the negativity surrounding Spurs as he attempted to mount a late salvage operation and avoid the prospect of the most embarrassing relegation in Premier League history.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

He had cut everyone’s losses and just wanted to get home with whatever it was he could salvage.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

Related Words

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