Salvus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the condition of being safe, unharmed, or intact
2. denoting a state of security or well-being
3. characterized by preservation from danger or injury

Etymology: "Salvus" is the Latin adjective meaning "safe, unharmed, uninjured," and it is the source of the English "safe" in its older sense of being free from harm. It comes from the Latin verb "salvere," meaning "to be well" or "to be in good health," which also gave the greeting "salve," literally "be well." English "salvation" and "salvage" trace back to the same root, reflecting the idea of being made whole or kept from harm. Latin "salvus" passed into English mainly through legal and religious writing, where it appears in phrases like "salvo jure," meaning "with the right preserved," in which "salvo" is the ablative form of the same root. The word was borrowed into English as a learned term, and it remains mostly confined to Latin phrases and scholarly contexts.

Synonyms: safe, secure, unharmed, protected

Antonyms: dangerous, unsafe, perilous