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

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

Etymology

Origin of saving

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

Example Sentences

Saving on GLP-1s requires choosing the right portal.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Saving for a four-year degree once felt like the obvious way to help a child get ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

When do the clocks go forward and what is Daylight Saving Time?

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Curtis talked with The Times about her 2016 book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned From Saving Old Houses,” where she wrote, “The best way to get through hell is to keep on moving.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Saving precious daylight hours could mean the difference between harvesting the food before the first frost or not, and having enough nourishment for the winter or not.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• preserving