secure
Americanadjective
-
free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- Antonyms:
- unsafe
-
dependable; firm; not liable to fail, yield, become displaced, etc., as a support or a fastening.
The building was secure, even in an earthquake.
-
affording safety, as a place.
He needed a secure hideout.
-
in safe custody or keeping.
Here in the vault the necklace was secure.
-
free from care; without anxiety.
emotionally secure.
-
firmly established, as a relationship or reputation.
He earned a secure place among the baseball immortals.
-
sure; certain; assured.
secure of victory;
secure in religious belief.
- Synonyms:
- confident
-
safe from penetration or interception by unauthorized persons.
secure radio communications between army units.
-
Archaic. overconfident.
verb (used with object)
-
secures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
secured,
past participle, past
-
securing
present participle
-
to get hold or possession of; procure; obtain.
to secure materials;
to secure a high government position.
- Synonyms:
- gain
-
to free from danger or harm; make safe.
Sandbags secured the town during the flood.
-
to effect; make certain of; ensure.
The novel secured his reputation.
-
to make firm or fast, as by attaching.
to secure a rope.
-
Finance.
-
to assure payment of (a debt) by pledging property.
-
to assure (a creditor) of payment by the pledge or mortgaging of property.
-
-
to lock or fasten against intruders.
to secure the doors.
-
to protect from attack by taking cover, by building fortifications, etc..
The regiment secured its position.
-
to capture (a person or animal).
No one is safe until the murderer is secured.
-
to tie up (a person), especially by binding the person's arms or hands; pinion.
-
to guarantee the privacy or secrecy of.
to secure diplomatic phone conversations.
verb (used without object)
-
secures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
secured,
past participle, past
-
securing
present participle
-
to be or become safe; have or obtain security.
-
Nautical.
-
to cover openings and make movable objects fast.
The crew was ordered to secure for sea.
-
to be excused from duty.
to secure from general quarters.
-
adjective
-
free from danger, damage, etc
-
free from fear, care, etc
-
in safe custody
-
not likely to fail, become loose, etc
-
able to be relied on; certain
a secure investment
-
nautical stowed away or made inoperative
-
archaic careless or overconfident
verb
-
(tr) to obtain or get possession of
I will secure some good seats
-
to make or become free from danger, fear, etc
-
(tr) to make fast or firm; fasten
-
to make or become certain; guarantee
this plan will secure your happiness
-
(tr) to assure (a creditor) of payment, as by giving security
-
(tr) to make (a military position) safe from attack
-
nautical to make (a vessel or its contents) safe or ready by battening down hatches, stowing gear, etc
-
(tr) nautical to stow or make inoperative
to secure the radio
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
securementnoun
-
securenessnoun
-
securernoun
-
supersecurenessnoun
-
unsecurenessnoun
-
resecureverb
-
presecureverb (used with object)
-
oversecureadjective
-
quasi-secureadjective
-
securableadjective
-
supersecureadjective
-
unsecureadjective
-
well-securedadjective
-
oversecurelyadverb
-
quasi-securelyadverb
-
securelyadverb
-
supersecurelyadverb
-
unsecurelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
securesimple
-
securessimple
-
have securedperfect
-
has securedperfect
-
am securingprogressive
-
are securingprogressive
-
is securingprogressive
-
have been securingperfect progressive
-
has been securingperfect progressive
Past
-
securedsimple
-
had securedperfect
-
was securingprogressive
-
were securingprogressive
-
had been securingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of secure
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin sēcūrus “carefree,” equivalent to sē- se- + cūr(a) “care” ( see cure) + -us, adjective suffix; cf. sure
Explanation
Secure means safe, protected. Your money is secure in a bank. Supportive friends and family make you feel secure. Secure can also be used as a verb. You secure the sails before you take out the sailboat, which means you tie them down. If you secure someone a ticket to a popular Broadway play, you've found them a hard-to-find seat. On an airplane, you're told that in the event you need an oxygen mask, you should secure yours — get it in place — before helping someone else. Almost all meanings contain the idea of safety: making sure things are right.
Vocabulary lists containing secure
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
We have a lot of games this season with European football, so we need to have the squad depth to compete on all fronts if we want to secure a top-10 finish again.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Hackers equipped with the technology could more quickly break the encryption underpinning online transactions, private messaging, secure website connections and other digital activities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Eventually, Rowan was able to secure a letter from the state saying that it will no longer pursue the claim against Keller’s house.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Debra Bianco, co-founder and president of Cornucopia Foundation, the nonprofit that launched the market nearly three decades ago, hopes to secure a better temporary location by next Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Experts agree children need to be close to their grandparents. It makes them feel secure, and when they grow up feeling loved they make better parents themselves.”
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
By the time of his silver jubilee in 1935, the position of this reimagined British monarchy was securer than it had ever been.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2022
In general, it was not a year in which the older novelists made their reputations securer.
From Time Magazine Archive
That which is greatest in him is entirely independent of means; much of what he now accomplishes illegitimately might without doubt be attained in securer modes—what cannot should without hesitation be abandoned.
From Modern Painters Volume I (of V) by John Ruskin
Her manner was securer, her eyes more grave, her smile less frequent.
From The Perfume of Eros: A Fifth Avenue Incident by Edgar Saltus
A securer heritage, however, than parental savings, is parental faith and piety.
From The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851 by Various
The securest hold was Adam Sandler's: his Grown Ups fell a negligible 14%.
From Time ● Jul. 11, 2010
Vickers, the securest of Otellos onstage, does not always seem comfort able on vinyl.
From Time Magazine Archive
Asserted one of Thatcher's aides: "It's going to stimulate the economy, and expansion is the securest form of revenue."
From Time Magazine Archive
The odds are that Poetry London-New York will not prove the securest of jobs for Tambi.
From Time Magazine Archive
It struck the poor exile as curious, that the very den of the British lion, the private grounds of the British King, should be commended to a refugee as his securest asylum.
From Israel Potter by Herman Melville
Replimune secures FDA approval for Tudriqev on its third attempt, making it the company’s first product on the market.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
If the petition secures 218 signatures from House members, the full House will vote on the bill.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
It’s the final place that secures a spot in the playoffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Asked about the prospect of Andy Burnham becoming the next PM if he secures the Labour leadership, Baroness Gray said Burnham had a lot of skills to bring to the role.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
My hands fumble along the collar of my shirt and find the button that secures it shut.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Jason Heyward didn’t give Freddie Freeman the heads up that he’d secured a job in the Dodgers’ front office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The ruling Adilet party won more than 70 percent of the vote, handing it most of the parliament's 145 seats, while four other parties also secured representation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Lopez, who has previously held world titles at lightweight and light-welterweight, secured a majority decision but declined to call out Briton Jack Catterall as his first defence.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The disclosure quotes Title VI: No funding may be terminated “until the department or agency . . . has determined that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
She slammed the door shut and secured the bolt outside.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Malone’s departure comes as OpenAI is doubling down on securing computing capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Britain's Heather Watson battled back from a set down against Claire Liu to keep alive her hopes of securing a first US Open main-draw appearance in five years.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
She was projected to win regardless of her second-round opponent, securing 68 percent against Melenchon's 32 percent and 55 percent against Philippe's 45 percent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
According to the suit, Sharell worked through the Merit Street bankruptcy and the subsequent establishment of Envoy Media, “receiving assignments and direction” from McGraw, dealing with executives and securing media placements among other duties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Sick leave and pensions?” he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
