safe space

noun

: a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations
… student volunteers put up posters advertising that a "safe space" would be available for anyone who found the debate too upsetting.—Judith Shulevitz
Women, sexual assault victims, people of color, transgender students. College campuses have created "safe spaces" for all sorts of marginalized groups.—Catherine Rampell

Examples of safe space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Leadership must foster this environment through empathetic listening, ensuring a safe space for flagging concerns. — Gary Zammit, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Mike, the moderator of the /porcelainveneerstruth subreddit, has made his corner of the internet a safe space not only for those who regret their veneers, but for people who are looking for guidance on where to start the process. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026 And yet, maybe a safe space is not only something we are given. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 The project began seven years ago when Godfrey and Gleason, along with several friends, wanted to create a safe space for local 4-H kids to learn to shoot. — Noah Daly august 6, Idaho Statesman, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for safe space

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of safe space was in 1970

Rhymes for safe space

See All Rhymes for safe space

Browse Nearby Words

safe sex
safe space
safe third country agreement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Safe space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe%20space. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All