security
English
Alternative forms
- secuerity (obsolete)
Etymology
From secure + -ity, from Middle English securite, from Middle French securité (modern sécurité), from Latin sēcūritās, from Latin sēcūrus (“safe, secure”), from sē- (“without”) + cūra (“care”); see cure. Similar to Latin sine cūrā (“without care, carefree”), which led to English sinecure. Doublet of surety.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /sɪˈkjʊəɹɪti/, (pour–poor merger) /sɪˈkjɔːɹəti/
- (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /sɪˈkjɵːɹɪtɪj/, (pour–poor merger) /sɪˈkjoːɹɪtɪj/
Audio (Southern England); /sɪˈkjɵːɹɪtɪj/: (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /səˈkjʊɹ.ɪti/, [səˈkjʊɹɪɾi]; (cure–fir merger) /səˈkjɝ.ɪti/, [səˈkjɝɪɾi]
Audio (US); [səˈkjʊɹɪɾi]: (file)
- (Scotland) IPA(key): /sɪˈkjʉɾɪte/, [sɪˈkjʉːɾɪte]
- Hyphenation (US): se‧cu‧rit‧y
Noun
security (countable and uncountable, plural securities)
- (uncountable) The condition of not being threatened, especially physically, psychologically, emotionally, or financially.
- Chad always carries a gun for his own security.
- The pink blanket gives little Mary lots of security.
- c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]:
- Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, / From firm security.
- 1711 December 8 (Gregorian calendar), [Jonathan Swift], “The Eighth Article of the Grand Alliance”, in The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War, 4th edition, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1711, →OCLC, pages 73–74:
- Was there no way to provide for the Safety of Britain, or the Security for its Trade, but by the French Kings turning his own Arms to beat his Grandſon out of Spain?
- 1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 51:
- An earthly paradise, where, free from care and toil, they could live on the sweet fruits of a delightful garden, and where birds and beasts frisked about them in fearless security.
- (countable) Something that secures.
- An organization or department responsible for providing security by enforcing laws, rules, and regulations as well as maintaining order.
- Pamela works in security.
- Leave right now or I'll call security.
- 1977, Graham Nash, “Just a Song Before I Go”, in CSN, performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash:
- […] Going through security I held her for so long / She finally looked at me in love and she was gone
- 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23:
- The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.
- 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 52:
- From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
- (law) Something that secures the fulfillment of an obligation or law.
- (law) Freedom from apprehension.
- (finance, often in the plural) A tradeable financial asset, such as a share of stock or any of various classes of bond.
- Hypernyms: financial asset < asset
- (finance) Proof of ownership of stocks, bonds or other investment instruments.
- (finance) Property etc. temporarily relinquished to guarantee repayment of a loan.
- Near-synonym: collateral
- A guarantee.
- 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “Of the Inhabitants of Lilliput; […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), pages 106–107:
- As to Perſons of Quality, they give Security to appropriate a certain Sum for each Child, ſuitable to their Condition; and theſe Funds are always managed with good Husbandry and the moſt exact Juſtice.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
- Those who lent him money lent it on no security but his bare word.
- (obsolete) Carelessness; negligence.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- He means, my lord, that we are too remiss,
Whilst Bolingbroke, through our security,
Grows strong and great in substance and in power.
Synonyms
- (condition of not being threatened): safety
- (something that secures): protection
- (something that secures the fulfillment of an obligation): guarantee, surety, pledge
- See also Thesaurus:security
Antonyms
- insecurity (condition of being threatened)
Hyponyms
Derived terms
- antisecurity
- biosecurity
- collateral security
- collective security
- convertible security
- countersecurity
- cryptosecurity
- cybersecurity
- DevSecOps
- e-security
- flexicurity
- food security
- homeland security
- hydrosecurity
- job security
- letter security
- maximum-security
- maximum security
- minimum security
- minimum-security
- national security
- necrosecurity
- neurosecurity
- nonsecurity
- personal security
- presecurity
- public security
- restricted security
- securitarian
- securitize
- security architecture
- security barrier
- security blanket
- security-by-design
- security by design
- security by obscurity
- security-by-obscurity
- security cam
- security camera
- security chain
- security clearance
- security community
- Security Council
- security culture
- security deposit
- security detail
- security distance
- security forces
- security guard
- security hole
- security housing unit
- security interest
- security market line
- security mom
- security officer
- security police
- security principal
- security printer
- security procedure
- security service
- security system
- security theater
- security theatre
- security through obscurity
- security-through-obscurity
- security van
- securitywise
- securocracy
- securocrat
- securocratic
- social security number
- ultrasecurity
- witsec
Descendants
- → Cantonese: 實Q / 实Q (sat6 kiu1), 石Q (sek6 kiu1), 食Q, 食蕉 (sik6 ziu1)
- → Indonesian: sekuriti
- → Indonesian: sekuritas (semantic loan)
- → Japanese: セキュリティ (sekyuriti)
Translations
condition of not being threatened
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something that secures
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organization or department responsible for providing security
|
something that secures the fulfillment of an obligation
|
legal: freedom from apprehension
|
finance: tradeable financial asset
|
finance: proof of ownership of investment instruments
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finance: property temporarily relinquished
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guarantee — see guarantee
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- “security”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- security in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “security”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
security on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Categories:
- English terms suffixed with -ity
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Law
- en:Finance
- English terms with obsolete senses