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safekeeping

safekeeping

27 3.5
Leaving something with a person or place so it is protected
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪfˌkiːpɪŋ/
translation icon : custodia
  • "The police have your mother's purse for safekeeping," he tells Maria.
  • home for safekeeping
  • place for safekeeping

And, and I know I had the option to, you know, sell them to friends or have somebody do safekeeping for me.

Examples

  • The king left these in my charge for safekeeping.

  • When you receive an award, place it in the box for safekeeping.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Put it up there for safekeeping, if you like.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • My brother's holding it for safekeeping.

  • The certificates must be kept for two years under reasonable safekeeping procedures.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In such cases, the medicine and associated objects are stored away for safekeeping in the houses of the society's leaders.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Farmers frequently stated that they chose the best specimen of a cultivated plant for safekeeping in their home garden.

    Academic text (2004)
  • He entrusted the two keys to his closest friends for safekeeping.

  • Erma had made a photocopy of Kethy's self-portrait and her detailed comments on it for safekeeping.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The king left these in my charge for safekeeping.

Synonyms

protection
vssafekeeping
974 1.0

Keeping people or things safe from harm

adds the idea of duty and custody rather than only preventing harm
preservation
vssafekeeping
90 3.8

Keeping things safe and in good condition, for example food or buildings

is about taking responsibility for safe custody rather than long term conservation
safety-deposit
vssafekeeping
29 4.0

A fireproof metal box at a bank for keeping valuable things like documents or jewelry

is the act of responsibility for protecting items rather than the storage container
stewardship
vssafekeeping
  • Formal
19 4.9

To manage and protect valuable things like land or data

is more about protective care rather than active management
keeping
vssafekeeping
15 1.5

The care and protection of something that someone is responsible for

is the same meaning but often used as a single compound emphasizing secure care
safe hands
vssafekeeping
5 4.0

A person, team, or group you can trust to look after something

describes the duty of protecting items rather than naming a trusted caregiver
caretaking
vssafekeeping
1 3.7

Looking after someone or something because it is your duty

is more concerned with protecting items rather than daily personal care
custodianship
vssafekeeping
  • Formal
1 7.0

The job of looking after and managing things like property, records, or a building

is focused on the act of protecting items rather than the formal role

Antonyms

256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

25 5.0

Putting someone or something at risk of harm

How Safe

protection
974 1.0
custody
  • Formal
333 3.8
safekeeping
27 3.5
care
1.0

Surface Forms

safekeeping singular
safekeepings plural

Morphology

safekeeping = safe + keeping (transparent) = safe + keep + ing

A clear compound of 'safe' and 'keeping' where 'keeping' (the noun) denotes the act of keeping; the meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

Safekeeping is made from safe ('protected') and keeping ('holding or looking after'), so it is a way of giving something to someone to look after it and keep it safe.