fail-safe

[ feyl-seyf ]

/ ˈfeɪlˌseɪf /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for fail-safe on Thesaurus.com

adjective

Electronics. pertaining to or noting a mechanism built into a system, as in an early warning system or a nuclear reactor, for insuring safety should the system fail to operate properly.

equipped with a secondary system that insures continued operation even if the primary system fails.

(sometimes initial capital letter) of, relating to, or designating a system of coded military controls in which bombers dispatched to a prearranged point as part of a standard operating procedure cannot advance farther without direct orders from a designated authority and cannot have the nuclear warheads they carry armed until they have passed their prearranged point.

guaranteed to work; totally reliable: a fail-safe recipe for a cheese soufflé.

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter) the point beyond which the bombers cannot go without specific instruction; the fail-safe point.

something designed to work or function automatically to prevent breakdown of a mechanism, system, or the like.

verb (used with object), fail-safed, fail-saf·ing.

to make fail-safe.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fail-safe

First recorded in 1945–50; apparently from verb phrase to fail safe(ly)

Words nearby fail-safe

failed, failed star, failed state, failing, faille, fail-safe, fail-soft, failure, fain, fainaigue, fainéant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fail-safe in a sentence

They had crossed paths once; Dad had wanted to turn Fail Safe into a movie, a project that Lumet eventually directed.
Almost Famous: A Father's Day Story|Alex Belth|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So as we lurch toward the next “fail-safe” milestone, there must be a way out for both sides.
CEO Solutions to the Shutdown|William L. McComb|October 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For example, at Three Mile Island, a fail-safe feature actually made the meltdown worse.
The Most Dangerous Substance in America May Be Fertilizer|Megan McArdle|April 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
My Social Chef recommends the perfect, fail-safe roast chicken recipe.
The Perfect Roast Chicken|Petrit Husenaj|October 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Internally, the communications beam to Thule Base had been interrupted; and the fail-safe had not failed-safely.
Where I Wasn't Going|Walt Richmond
It designed ingenious models, devised foolproof laws, imposed fail-safe institutions and strongly "recommended" measures.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for fail-safe

fail-safe

adjective

designed to return to a safe condition in the event of a failure or malfunction

(of a nuclear weapon) capable of being deactivated in the event of a failure or accident

unlikely to fail; foolproof

verb

(intr) to return to a safe condition in the event of a failure or malfunction

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fail-safe

Origin of fail-safe

Words nearby fail-safe

Words related to fail-safe

How to use fail-safe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fail-safe