Answer: Secure means protected from danger or harm, or free from risk or worry; it can also mean to make something safe or guaranteed. Definitions and nuances
- Protection from danger: For example, a secure network is guarded against intruders; a secure home keeps residents safe [Britannica definition 1a; Cambridge definition].
- Safe and confident state: Feeling free from worry or doubt is another sense of secure, as in being secure about one’s place or future [Merriam-Webster definition 1d].
- Guarantee or fixation: To secure something can also mean to guarantee payment or to fasten something firmly in place [Merriam-Webster, Cambridge; general usage].
- Related forms: secure as a verb can mean to obtain or to make safe, and secured/securely describe how something is fastened or protected [Merriam-Webster; Cambridge].
Common usage examples
- Security for digital systems: “We need to secure the network against hackers.”
- Personal safety: “The area is secure.”
- Financial or organizational stability: “The company aims to secure its market position.”
Quick language tips
- As an adjective: secure = protected or safe; can describe people, places, or systems (e.g., a secure connection, a secure facility).
- As a verb: secure = to obtain, guarantee, or protect (e.g., secure a loan, secure a future).
If you’d like, I can tailor examples to a specific context (tech, travel, personal finances, etc.).
