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Synonyms

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.


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

"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 Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of seat belt

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

See Examples For:

As for the second question, if I were former Dodgers owner and aerial tram godfather Frank McCourt, I’d fasten my seat belt, because the gondola is about to hit some heavy turbulence.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 1, 2026

Front seat passengers such as Jenna often have chest, rib and breastbone injuries if wearing a seat belt because of the massive pressure from the impact.

From BBC Feb. 14, 2026

Rivian is recalling 34,824 vehicles to fix a damaged seat belt pretensioner cable.

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

He unbuckled his seat belt, slid across the backseat, and got out of the car.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

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