saving

American  

[sey-ving] / ˈseɪ vɪŋ /

adjective

1. tending or serving to save; rescuing; preserving.

2. compensating; redeeming.

   a saving sense of humor.

   Synonyms:

   redemptory

3. thrifty; economical.

   a saving housekeeper.

4. making a reservation.

   a saving clause.

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noun

1. a reduction or lessening of expenditure or outlay.

   a saving of 10 percent.

2. something that is saved.

3. savings, sums of money saved by economy and laid away.

4. Law. a reservation or exception.

preposition

1. except.

   Nothing remains saving these ruins.

2. with all due respect to or for.

   saving your presence.

conjunction

1. except; save.

saving British  

/ ˈseɪvɪŋ /

adjective

1. tending to save or preserve

2. redeeming or compensating (esp in the phrase saving grace )

3. thrifty or economical

4. law denoting or relating to an exception or reservation

   a saving clause in an agreement

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noun

1. preservation or redemption, esp from loss or danger

2. economy or avoidance of waste

3. reduction in cost or expenditure

   a saving of 100 dollars

4. anything saved

5. (plural) money saved for future use

6. law an exception or reservation

preposition

1. with the exception of

conjunction

1. except

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsavingly
  adverb
• savingly
  adverb
• nonsaving
  adjective
• unsaving
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of saving

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at save ¹, -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Neither the Fort nor HiberTec will be saving anyone en masse immediately.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Although the women of “The Pitt” would never compare acting to saving lives, Briones believes that the experiences of women — especially from marginalized communities — share commonalities across many male-dominated industries.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Caregivers report out-of-pocket costs of roughly $1,000 a month, a burden that makes it harder to keep saving for tomorrow while paying for today.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

“I think he might be our only saving grace,” said Raljevich, of Westchester.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

I’d been so caught up in saving Dad, I’d forgotten about my promise.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• preserving