savior
Americannoun
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a person who saves, rescues, or delivers.
the savior of the country.
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(initial capital letter) a title of God, especially of Christ.
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(initial capital letter) an epithet of Artemis.
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
- saviorhood noun
- saviorship noun
- undersavior noun
Etymology
Origin of savior
1250–1300; Middle English saveour, sauveur < Old French sauvëour < Late Latin salvātor, equivalent to Latin salvā ( re ) to save 1 + -tor -tor
Explanation
A savior is somebody who saves you. Say you're hanging by your fingernails from the ledge of a burning building. When the firefighter appears to carry you to safety, it would be appropriate to cry, "My savior has arrived!" If you rescue the rarely seen white-fanged mudslide chameleon from extinction, wildlife enthusiasts would no doubt call you the creature's savior. Savior, with a capital S, is one of the names Christians use for Jesus, Savior of the World, Lord and Savior, the one who saves souls. As you've no doubt noticed, the word savior is connected to the word save, — both words come from the Latin salvare, which means simply "to save."
Vocabulary lists containing savior
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Words for Carolers
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Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I can tell you which of those movies I’d rather watch again, and it’s not the one where she plays a white savior mother with an addiction to hairspray.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
A teenager insecure in their academics, social standing, or identity might see A.I. writing as a savior, a way to avoid unwanted labor and protect themselves against their perceived shortcomings.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Which is why teams around the league might look at quarterbacks like Murray and see a possible savior.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
He’d entered the league thrust into the position of savior, a 21-year-old high draft pick from USC trapped in a Meadowlands clown car.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
“Another. Stronger than Tommen, gentler than Stannis, with a better claim than the girl Myrcella. A savior come from across the sea to bind up the wounds of bleeding Westeros.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
