Standard Lemma guide

fail-safe

adj · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • fāl′sāf
  • /ˈfeɪlˌseɪf/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F EY0 L S AE1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That does not cause undue damage in the event of failure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The system is failsafe, because everything is backed up automatically.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Designed to shut off for safety if an emergency occurs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A device, mechanism or measure designed to make something fail-safe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To compensate automatically, in the event of a failure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To make a device or mechanism fail-safe, or to add a fail-safe device or mechanism to an existing system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

eliminating danger by compensating automatically for a failure or malfunction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fail-safe device in a nuclear weapon to deactivate it automatically in the event of accident

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

guaranteed not to fail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fail-safe recipe for cheese souffle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a mechanism capable of returning to a safe state in case there is a failure or malfunction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mechanism

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vikaturvallinen — that does not cause undue damage
  • Hungarian: biztonságos — that does not cause undue damage
  • Hungarian: üzembiztos — that does not cause undue damage
  • Kyrgyz: ишенимдүү (işenimdüü) — that does not cause undue damage
  • Kyrgyz: бекем (bekem) — that does not cause undue damage
  • Polish: bezusterkowy — that does not cause undue damage
  • Polish: niezawodny — that does not cause undue damage
  • Telugu: కట్టుదిట్టమైన (kaṭṭudiṭṭamaina) — that does not cause undue damage
  • Telugu: పాడవని (pāḍavani) — that does not cause undue damage
  • Telugu: చెడిపోని (ceḍipōni) — that does not cause undue damage
  • Dutch: fouttolerant — device or mechanism
  • Finnish: turvalaite — device or mechanism
  • Finnish: turvamekanismi — device or mechanism
  • French: mode dégradé — device or mechanism
  • Japanese: フェイルセーフ (feirusēfu) — device or mechanism
  • Polish: bezpiecznik — device or mechanism