Safety is the condition of being protected from harm, danger, or injury. When you wear a helmet while riding your bike, you're creating safety for your head. When a lifeguard watches swimmers at the pool, they're there to ensure everyone's safety.

Safety involves both preventing accidents before they happen and being prepared if something goes wrong. A science teacher creates safety in the lab by explaining how to handle chemicals properly and keeping a fire extinguisher nearby. Your parents create safety at home by installing smoke detectors and teaching you what to do in an emergency.

The word also describes things designed to protect people. A safety net catches circus performers if they fall. Safety glasses shield your eyes from flying wood chips in shop class. The safety on a tool or device is a feature that prevents accidental use, like the mechanism that keeps a power saw from starting unless you hold it correctly.

People sometimes use safety to mean a place of refuge or security. A player running to base in kickball has reached safety when they're on the base and can't be tagged out. In football, a safety is also a type of scoring play that earns points.