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)
-
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)
-
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:
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
So he encourages people to identify the relationships in their lives that already make them feel safe and understood, and to use them "as a vehicle for becoming more secure overall".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Next, the Laestrygonians are clearly classical precursors of Norway’s Viking heirs, terrifying giants who, despite knocking out most of the Achaean team, are unable to secure victory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 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
SABIO, MARIA: Ved, protect this session under secure passcode and voice identification.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
Alfred showed less bitterness, possibly because he felt securer in his position towards the woman whose beauty had occasioned this rivalry.
From One of My Sons by Green, Anna Katharine
It was becoming obvious that local interests must receive some securer protection than could be afforded by what was after all an evasion of constitutional practice.
From British Supremacy & Canadian Self-Government, 1839-1854 by Morison, J. L. (John Lyle)
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
The odds are that Poetry London-New York will not prove the securest of jobs for Tambi.
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
Even threaten the securest position, when long continued.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the laboratories of Europe and America investigations are this very moment being made into Nature's securest secrets.
From The Young Man and the World by Beveridge, Albert Jeremiah
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
Sometimes called a “future-advance mortgage,” it secures debt on your home and may even allow other debts to be secured under the same mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 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
My hands fumble along the collar of my shirt and find the button that secures it shut.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
After The Times broke that story, Ugarte said, he secured permits for a march from L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Ford secured a Defense Department contract to develop three truck prototypes based on its F-Series super-duty pickups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Abigail secured third place in the women's vault, one place ahead of sister Emily, who then claimed her own medal later in the afternoon by finishing third in the uneven bars.
From BBC ● 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
The Potomac location for the permanent capital had, in fact, already been secured.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
"Their willingness to speak about what Sherland did to them was instrumental in securing this conviction."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In addition to securing homes, the department also advised parents to discuss the trend with their teens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
To help fund that, Tesla said it is securing debt facilities that could allow it to borrow up to $30 billion to speed up its plans.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Ben Duckett hits a record-breaking 141 to help England beat India by 27 runs in a thrilling series decider at Lord's, with the victory also securing a 2-1 series win.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Her solution this time was to pay everyone the same amount—$2,000—therefore saving face and securing the greatest American player.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
