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
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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:
The company is “taking advantage of its AAA credit rating to secure long-term capital, preserve liquidity and accelerate investments in data centers, cloud capacity and AI infrastructure,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Meta, Microsoft and Amazon signed contracts with Kioxia this year to secure long-term supply by committing to higher prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Jair Bolsonaro, issued a statement to highlight the "secure electoral process."
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
"It will take time, but record investment will help secure water supplies, support growth, and end sewage entering rivers and seas," a spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
He placed his communication stone in a secure zipped pocket.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
He found the barges unsafely bestowed, and suggested to the captain of the Hallam yard tug boat that he should tow them into a securer anchorage.
From A Captain in the Ranks A Romance of Affairs by George Cary Eggleston
“No, I don’t,” said Swickey, releasing his hand as they came to securer footing.
From Lost Farm Camp by Harry Herbert Knibbs
The securest hold was Adam Sandler's: his Grown Ups fell a negligible 14%.
From Time ● Jul. 11, 2010
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
Vickers, the securest of Otellos onstage, does not always seem comfort able on vinyl.
From Time Magazine Archive
The young are immediately placed in the securest place at hand, where the foliage is thickest, and remain perfectly motionless and quiet.
From Rambles of a Naturalist by John D. Godman
A cloud operator raises money, secures power and installs computing equipment.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
It says it thinks Nokia may either raise the guidance if the company secures more supply, or leave 2026 guidance unchanged but provide encouraging color on 2027 to address market concerns on capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Rocket Lab secures 20 additional launches for Synspective, while Citi initiates coverage with a Buy rating and $105 price target.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Littler capitalised by taking out 39 for a win which secures his place at the European Championship in Dortmund in October.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
He unties everything and secures the rope more strongly.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
"I do not believe he has the means to lead the opposition from afar, as the newly elected officials have already secured their seats and no longer need him," Monteiro told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
That secured a spot in the 123rd World Series, where the Brewers became MLB champions with 11 wins from 13 games in the postseason.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Two designated parking spaces are included in the building’s secured, residents-only garage.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Her legacy is secured in American history, but her daily calendar shows why she mattered so much to so many.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
What standing could such dedicated pacifists enjoy among veterans of the Revolution, who, as Jackson put it, “at the risk of their lives and fortunes, secured to the community their liberty and property?”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Some experts say the temporary void left by Flock presents an opportunity for vendors to get a foot in the door in securing long-term contracts with cities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly said that securing a base on the Red Sea is a vital national objective for Ethiopia, which lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
That is why Kalshi spent years securing licenses and approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission before opening for business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
BBC Sport looks at why Kane won it and how unusual it is to do so without securing one of those major trophies.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Mya and Camila sit on the opposite side of the table, securing the distance between Stella and me.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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