save

[ seyv ]

/ seɪv /

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See synonyms for save on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), saved, sav·ing.

to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss: to save someone from drowning.

to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve: God save the king.

to keep from being lost to an opponent: A goal in the final minute saved the game.

to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of: to save fuel.

to keep, as for reuse: to save leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

to set aside, reserve, or lay by: to save money.

to treat carefully in order to reduce wear, fatigue, etc.: to save one's eyes by reading under proper light.

to prevent the occurrence, use, or necessity of; obviate: to come early in order to save waiting.

Theology. to deliver from the power and consequences of sin.

Computers. to copy (a file or other data) to a storage medium, as from RAM to a disk.

Sports. to stop (a ball or puck) from entering one's goal.

verb (used without object), saved, sav·ing.

to lay up money as the result of economy or thrift.

to be economical in expenditure.

to preserve something from harm, injury, loss, etc.

to keep or last without spoiling, as food.

noun

an act or instance of saving, especially in sports: The goalie guarded the net well and made a crucial save.

Baseball. a statistical credit given a relief pitcher for preserving a team's victory by holding its lead in a game.

Computers.

an act of copying a file or other data to a storage medium: The server is scheduled to execute a systemwide save at the end of the work day.
one version of a saved file: We can recover the lost data if we restore it from a previous save.

OTHER WORDS FOR save

1 salvage.

6 store up, husband.

12 economize, hoard.

See synonyms for save on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of save

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English sa(u)ven, from Old French sauver, salver, from Late Latin salvāre “to save”; see origin at safe

OTHER WORDS FROM save

sav·a·ble, save·a·ble, adjectivesav·a·ble·ness, save·a·ble·ness, nounsaver, nounun·sav·a·ble, adjective

un·save·a·ble, adjectiveun·saved, adjective

Other definitions for save (2 of 3)

save²

[ seyv ]

/ seɪv /

preposition

except; but: All the guests had left save one.

conjunction

except; but (usually followed by that): He would have gone, save that he had no means.

Origin of save

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sauue, sauf, save, variant of safe

synonym study for save

1. See except¹.

Other definitions for save (3 of 3)

Save

[ sah-vuh ]

/ ˈsɑ və /

noun

Sava.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use save in a sentence

It’s starting to be the norm for him to make those big saves.
Alex Ovechkin returns, scores overtime winner as Capitals beat Bruins, 4-3|Samantha Pell|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
With the help of the Save button on your site pages, your customers can save things from your website to Pinterest.
Pinterest SEO guide: Eight tips for search-friendly pins|Aleh Barysevich|January 26, 2021|Search Engine Watch
Facebook has an option for Save video under the three dots in the top right corner of a post, but this just saves it within Facebook.
How to save important photos and video from the web|John Kennedy|January 19, 2021|Popular-Science
Top goalies, such as Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, have a save percentage of about 93 percent.
Goalies can make or break an NHL season|Fred Bowen|January 14, 2021|Washington Post

On Monday night, he became the first pitcher to win rookie of the year honors following a season in which he made no starts and earned no saves.
Brewers’ Devin Williams, Mariners’ Kyle Lewis win MLB Rookie of the Year awards|Dave Sheinin|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
Saved from the public gallows, Weeks was virtually exiled from the city, and wound up in Mississippi, where he raised a family.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was the one that saved me so I could have Christmas in Bali.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Italian navy tweeted regular updates of the saved-to-stranded passenger ratio.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is partly because it can be said that this is the book that saved Christmas.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a teen, she wowed in films like Donnie Darko and Saved!
Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom|Marlow Stern|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She had just left the wharf at Cincinnati for Louisville, with 225 passengers on board, of whom but 124 were saved.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
She thought, knowing Janet to be at liberty and never dreaming that she would refuse: "I am saved--for the present."
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Labor, so it was argued, was perpetually being saved by the constant introduction of new uses of machinery.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
But he was rescued by the efforts of the sailors, who threw him a rope by which he saved himself.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
By sheer force of character Lannes thus dominated the situation and saved the lives of himself and his escort.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for save (1 of 2)

save¹

/ (seɪv) /

verb

(tr) to rescue, preserve, or guard (a person or thing) from danger or harm

to avoid the spending, waste, or loss of (money, possessions, etc)

(tr) to deliver from sin; redeem

(often foll by up) to set aside or reserve (money, goods, etc) for future use

(tr) to treat with care so as to avoid or lessen wear or degenerationuse a good light to save your eyes

(tr) to prevent the necessity for; obviate the trouble ofgood work now will save future revision

(tr) sport to prevent (a goal) by stopping (a struck ball or puck)

(intr) mainly US (of food) to admit of preservation; keep

noun

sport the act of saving a goal

computing an instruction to write information from the memory onto a tape or disk

Derived forms of save

savable or saveable, adjectivesavableness or saveableness, nounsaver, noun

Word Origin for save

C13: from Old French salver, via Late Latin from Latin salvus safe

British Dictionary definitions for save (2 of 2)

save²

/ (seɪv) archaic, or literary /

preposition

Also: saving (often foll by for) with the exception of

conjunction

but; except

Word Origin for save

C13 sauf, from Old French, from Latin salvō, from salvus safe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with save

save

In addition to the idioms beginning with save

saved by the bell
save face
save for a rainy day
save one's bacon
save one's breath
save the day
save up

also see:

penny saved is a penny earned
rainy day, save for a
scrimp and save
to save one's life

save

OTHER WORDS FOR save

Origin of save

OTHER WORDS FROM save

Other definitions for save (2 of 3)

Origin of save

synonym study for save

Other definitions for save (3 of 3)

Words related to save

How to use save in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for save (1 of 2)

Derived forms of save

Word Origin for save

British Dictionary definitions for save (2 of 2)

Word Origin for save

Other Idioms and Phrases with save