secure
Americanadjective
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free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- Antonyms:
- unsafe
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dependable; firm; not liable to fail, yield, become displaced, etc., as a support or a fastening.
The building was secure, even in an earthquake.
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affording safety, as a place.
He needed a secure hideout.
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in safe custody or keeping.
Here in the vault the necklace was secure.
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free from care; without anxiety.
emotionally secure.
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firmly established, as a relationship or reputation.
He earned a secure place among the baseball immortals.
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sure; certain; assured.
secure of victory;
secure in religious belief.
- Synonyms:
- confident
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safe from penetration or interception by unauthorized persons.
secure radio communications between army units.
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Archaic. overconfident.
verb (used with object)
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to get hold or possession of; procure; obtain.
to secure materials;
to secure a high government position.
- Synonyms:
- gain
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to free from danger or harm; make safe.
Sandbags secured the town during the flood.
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to effect; make certain of; ensure.
The novel secured his reputation.
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to make firm or fast, as by attaching.
to secure a rope.
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Finance.
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to assure payment of (a debt) by pledging property.
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to assure (a creditor) of payment by the pledge or mortgaging of property.
-
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to lock or fasten against intruders.
to secure the doors.
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to protect from attack by taking cover, by building fortifications, etc..
The regiment secured its position.
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to capture (a person or animal).
No one is safe until the murderer is secured.
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to tie up (a person), especially by binding the person's arms or hands; pinion.
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to guarantee the privacy or secrecy of.
to secure diplomatic phone conversations.
verb (used without object)
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to be or become safe; have or obtain security.
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Nautical.
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to cover openings and make movable objects fast.
The crew was ordered to secure for sea.
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to be excused from duty.
to secure from general quarters.
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adjective
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free from danger, damage, etc
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free from fear, care, etc
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in safe custody
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not likely to fail, become loose, etc
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able to be relied on; certain
a secure investment
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nautical stowed away or made inoperative
-
archaic careless or overconfident
verb
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(tr) to obtain or get possession of
I will secure some good seats
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to make or become free from danger, fear, etc
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(tr) to make fast or firm; fasten
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to make or become certain; guarantee
this plan will secure your happiness
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(tr) to assure (a creditor) of payment, as by giving security
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(tr) to make (a military position) safe from attack
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nautical to make (a vessel or its contents) safe or ready by battening down hatches, stowing gear, etc
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(tr) nautical to stow or make inoperative
to secure the radio
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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securementnoun
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securenessnoun
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securernoun
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supersecurenessnoun
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unsecurenessnoun
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resecureverb
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presecureverb (used with object)
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oversecureadjective
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quasi-secureadjective
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securableadjective
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supersecureadjective
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unsecureadjective
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well-securedadjective
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oversecurelyadverb
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quasi-securelyadverb
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securelyadverb
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supersecurelyadverb
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unsecurelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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securesimple
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securessimple
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have securedperfect
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has securedperfect
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am securingprogressive
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are securingprogressive
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is securingprogressive
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have been securingperfect progressive
-
has been securingperfect progressive
Past
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securedsimple
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had securedperfect
-
was securingprogressive
-
were securingprogressive
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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
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Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Positive experiences build evidence that people can be trusted and relied upon, helping move someone towards what he calls "secure mode".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
As Elisa, Nicole Heaston’s bright, secure soprano was also impressive, but she missed the character’s deep malevolence—Elisa is prepared to kill to get what she wants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Someone who is secure is comfortable with both closeness and independence in relationships.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
What’s more, Solyndra was credibly accused of misleading the government about its finances in order to secure backing, leading to the company being raided by the FBI.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Fred? We’re secure in here. But I hear some nasty barking in the other room. And Duke’s whining and whimpering. I have a feeling he’s in trouble!”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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
Armstrong effected the best compromise possible by standing and getting a good “look-see” while he could, and then settling back into a securer position when the boat struck the rough water.
From Down the Columbia by Freeman, Lewis R. (Lewis Ransome)
Man the Rebel 27 Shows the transition stage between instinct and reason, in which man finds himself, and how he can advance to a securer condition.
From The Book of Life by Sinclair, Upton
My experience has been that with the single exception mentioned, I have felt securer in the buckskin.
From Camp and Trail by White, Stewart Edward
The securest hold was Adam Sandler's: his Grown Ups fell a negligible 14%.
From Time ● Jul. 11, 2010
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
Even threaten the securest position, when long continued.
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
Among the latter, Grand View Inlet, so named from the magnificent scenery surrounding it, situated about eight miles south of Tasso Harbor, is one of the securest retreats for small boats I have ever seen.
From Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the Government of British Columbia by Chittenden, Newton H. (Newton Henry)
The AI infrastructure provider is easing anxiety over high data-center build-out costs as it secures new customers and prepayments for chips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Watch the dramatic third-set tiebreak on Centre Court between Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff which secures Muchova's place in the Wimbledon 2026 final.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
China’s Taiyi Quantum secures $44 million in Pre-A funding, highlighting intensified state-backed quantum development as a national priority.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Unless a mayoral candidate secures a majority of the vote, the top two face off in a second round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
Eventually, though, she secures her newborn in the den and heads back to the bamboo thicket to feast—crucial for her own survival as well as her cub’s.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
Defence barrister Jeff Jones said Morecroft's partner had secured a £10,000 loan that could be paid immediately towards the compensation.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
When an examiner estimated that these transfers may have defrauded Caesars of $5 billion, the original proposal crumbled and the disfavored creditors secured a far better deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The company, now headquartered in Singapore, secured China’s approval for a listing earlier this year after confidentially filing for a Hong Kong IPO last summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
They promised to buy him the 4x4 truck he wanted if he secured a college scholarship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Coaxing the buttons through their holes was like reconciling warring friends, but I finally secured all five of them over my flat chest and belly, a task that was growing harder every day.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
"That's an area where we have not agreed with the United States, but when it comes to securing maritime freedom and free commercial shipping in the straight Hormuz, that's where we are absolutely aligned".
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
He had always been a good student, securing almost all A’s with a few Bs sprinkled in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Their willingness to speak about what Sherland did to them was instrumental in securing this conviction."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Research on financial well-being suggests for young Americans today, securing a sense of prosperity and independence requires reaching this six-figure milestone earlier in life, as time is so valuable in investing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
It is most effective in securing the audience’s attention.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
