seat belt

American  

Or seatbelt

noun

seat belts plural

1. a belt or strap in an automobile, airplane, etc., fastened around or sometimes diagonally across the midsection to keep the person safely secured, as during a sudden stop.

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seat belt British  

noun

1. Also called: safety belt.  a belt or strap worn in a vehicle to restrain forward motion in the event of a collision

2. a similar belt or strap worn in an aircraft at takeoff and landing and in rough weather

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• seat belts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of seat belt

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

To remedy the issue, Rivian released an over-the-air software update that will automatically detect seat belt misuse.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Rivian is recalling 34,824 vehicles for a damaged seat belt pretensioner cable, representing a significant portion of its total sales.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

You are in the passenger seat with no seat belt, and the dashboard lights are blinking like they’re trying to tell you something in Morse code, which you never learned.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

Then, once the athletes are sitting comfortably, he recommends they use sanitizing wipes to clean any areas they might touch: the seat belt, arm rests, air nozzle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

As a matter of fact, by the time I put the car in park, unbuckle my seat belt, and reach to shut off the ignition, she’s opening the passenger door and climbing in.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• safety belt