adj · noun · prep · verb · 17 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.
Canada, UK, US:/ˈseɪ.vɪŋ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˈsæɪ.vɪŋ/
rhymes with -eɪvɪŋ
CMU ARPABET:S EY1 V IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
That saves someone from damnation; redemptive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: lifestyle, religion, theology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Preserving; rescuing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Thrifty; frugal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Bringing back in returns or in receipts the sum expended; incurring no loss, though not gainful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a saving bargain
The ship has made a saving voyage.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Making reservation or exception.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a saving clause
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Relating to making a saving.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-compounds
Examples
labour-saving
energy-saving light bulbs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A reduction in cost or expenditure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The shift of the supplier gave us a saving of 10 percent.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Something (usually money) that is saved, particularly money that has been set aside for the future.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, plural-normally
Examples
I invested all my savings in gold.
The collapse of Enron wiped out the life savings of many people, leaving them poor in their retirement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
The action of the verb to save.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Exception; reservation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
Topics: law
Examples
saving and transitional provisions
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
prep
Meaning 11
Synonym of save (“except for”)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: save
Antonyms: none provided
12
prep
Meaning 12
Without disrespect to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
verb
Meaning 13
present participle and gerund of save
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *solh2- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *sl̥h2-wós Proto-Italic *salawos Latin salvus Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin salvō Latin salvāre Old French sauverbor. Middle English saven English save English -ing English saving From save + -ing.
Across languages
Translations
93 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
пестящ
(pestjašt)
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Hungarian:
-takarékos
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Hungarian:
-kímélő
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Hungarian:
spóroló
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Hungarian:
megtakarító
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Spanish:
salvador
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Spanish:
salvante
— in compound adjectives: relating to making a saving
Arabic:
خَصْم
(ḵaṣm)
— reduction in cost
Arabic:
حَسْم
(ḥasm)
— reduction in cost
Azerbaijani:
qənaət
— reduction in cost
Belarusian:
экано́мія
(ekanómija)
— reduction in cost
Bulgarian:
спестя́ване
(spestjávane)
— reduction in cost
Bulgarian:
иконо́мия
(ikonómija)
— reduction in cost
Catalan:
estalvi
— reduction in cost
Chinese Mandarin:
節約 /节约
(jiéyuē)
— reduction in cost
Danish:
besparelse
— reduction in cost
Finnish:
säästö
— reduction in cost
French:
économie
— reduction in cost
Hungarian:
takarékosság
— reduction in cost
Hungarian:
kímélés
— reduction in cost
Japanese:
節約
(setsuyaku)
— reduction in cost
Korean:
절약
(jeoryak)
— reduction in cost
Norwegian Bokmål:
besparelse
— reduction in cost
Norwegian Bokmål:
økonomisering
— reduction in cost
Occitan:
estalvi
— reduction in cost
Romanian:
economie
— reduction in cost
Russian:
эконо́мия
(ekonómija)
— reduction in cost
Spanish:
ahorro
— reduction in cost
Ukrainian:
еконо́мія
(ekonómija)
— reduction in cost
Afrikaans:
spaargeld
— something that is saved
Arabic:
مُدَخَرَات
(mudaḵarāt)
— something that is saved
Azerbaijani:
yığım
— something that is saved
Azerbaijani:
yatır
— something that is saved
Belarusian:
зберажэ́нні
(zbjeražénni)
— something that is saved
Bulgarian:
спестя́ване
(spestjávane)
— something that is saved
Catalan:
estalvi
— something that is saved
Chinese Mandarin:
儲蓄 /储蓄
(chǔxù)
— something that is saved
Czech:
úspory
— something that is saved
Danish:
sparepenge
— something that is saved
Dutch:
spaargeld
— something that is saved
Finnish:
säästöt
— something that is saved
French:
économie
— something that is saved
French:
épargne
— something that is saved
German:
Ersparnisse
— something that is saved
Greek:
αποταμιεύσεις
(apotamiéfseis)
— something that is saved
Hindi:
बचत
(bacat)
— something that is saved
Hungarian:
megtakarítás
— something that is saved
Indonesian:
tabungan
— something that is saved
Japanese:
貯蓄
(chochiku)
— something that is saved
Japanese:
貯金
(chokin)
— something that is saved
Korean:
저축
(jeochuk)
— something that is saved
Korean:
저금
(jeogeum)
— something that is saved
Malay:
tabung
— something that is saved
Māori:
pūtea penapena
— something that is saved
Mongolian:
хуримтлал
(xurimtlal)
— something that is saved
Mongolian:
хадгаламж
(xadgalamž)
— something that is saved
Mongolian:
ᠬᠤᠷᠠᠮᠲᠤᠯᠠᠯ
(quramtulal)
— something that is saved
Mongolian:
ᠬᠠᠳᠠᠭᠠᠯᠠᠮᠵᠢ
(qadaɣalamǰi)
— something that is saved
Occitan:
estalvi
— something that is saved
Portuguese:
poupança
— something that is saved
Portuguese:
economias
— something that is saved
Romanian:
economii
— something that is saved
Russian:
сбереже́ния
(sberežénija)
— something that is saved
Russian:
накопле́ния
(nakoplénija)
— something that is saved
Spanish:
ahorros
— something that is saved
Spanish:
economías
— something that is saved
Spanish:
burrucha
— something that is saved
Spanish:
hucha
— something that is saved
Swahili:
akiba
— something that is saved
Ottoman Turkish:
اداره
(idâre)
— something that is saved
Ukrainian:
заоща́дження
(zaoščádžennja)
— something that is saved
Ukrainian:
збере́ження
(zberéžennja)
— something that is saved
Volapük:
spälot
— something that is saved
Volapük:
spälamon
— something that is saved
Azerbaijani:
qənaət
— action of saving
Belarusian:
экано́мія
(ekanómija)
— action of saving
Belarusian:
ашча́днасць
(aščádnascʹ)
— action of saving
Belarusian:
ашча́длівасць
(aščádlivascʹ)
— action of saving
Belarusian:
беражлі́васць
(bjeražlívascʹ)
— action of saving
Bulgarian:
спестяване
(spestjavane)
— action of saving
Finnish:
säästäminen
— action of saving
Hungarian:
mentés
— action of saving
Hungarian:
megmentés
— action of saving
Polish:
oszczędność
— action of saving
Romanian:
economisire
— action of saving
Russian:
эконо́мия
(ekonómija)
— action of saving
Russian:
бережли́вость
(berežlívostʹ)
— action of saving
Telugu:
కాపాడుట
(kāpāḍuṭa)
— action of saving
Ottoman Turkish:
نجات
(necât)
— action of saving
Ukrainian:
оща́дність
(oščádnistʹ)
— action of saving
Ukrainian:
оща́дливість
(oščádlyvistʹ)
— action of saving
Ukrainian:
бережли́вість
(berežlývistʹ)
— action of saving
Ukrainian:
еконо́мія
(ekonómija)
— action of saving