Secure
adjectiveSafe, firmly fixed, or protected against threat or failure.
How to spell secure
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce secure
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does secure mean?
- adjectiveSafe, firmly fixed, or protected against threat or failure.
- verbTo obtain or achieve something, or to fasten or make safe.
Secure in a sentence
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adjective
The bank promised that customer data was kept secure at all times.
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verb
The team worked hard to secure funding for the new project.
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adjective
She felt financially secure once the mortgage was finally paid off.
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verb
Please secure the gate so the dog cannot get out.
Where does secure come from?
Language of origin: Latin
The word comes from the Latin securus, which broke down into se-, meaning 'free from' or 'without', and cura, meaning 'care' or 'anxiety'; so the original sense was literally 'free from worry' or 'untroubled'. The Romans used it for a person who felt safe and unbothered, and that feeling of safety gradually broadened into the modern idea of being physically protected or firmly fastened. English adopted it in the sixteenth century, partly directly from Latin and partly reinforced by the French form, with the meaning 'safe, certain' settling in fairly quickly. The very same cura root sits inside the everyday words 'cure', 'curious', and 'curator', all tied to the idea of taking care. The 'cure' spelling at the heart of the word is a useful anchor: secure is something that leaves you free of care.
How the word is built
- se- (without, from Latin sine: free from)
- cure (from cura: care, worry) literally 'free from care'
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