safety net
82
3.4
- noun
- /ˈseɪfti nɛt/
- Most countries in the civilized Western world have a safety net, and ours is thinner than most.
- social safety net
- provide a safety net
- welfare safety net
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Watch on YouTubeAnd so you kind of need the safety net of a sponsorship to keep you afloat.
- And so you kind of need the safety net of a sponsorship to keep you afloat.
- It's sort of accepting that there's no safety net.
- I, I don't, I don't have a safety net.
- Immigrants have to try harder, actually, because there's less safety net.
- And what, what are the benefits and maybe limits of a safety net in, in, in a country like ours?
- No funding, no resources, no safety net.
- I want to say that's not to the exclusion of a social safety net.
- You can start cultivating respect and character because the safety net is there.
- We've stripped the United States population of of a social safety net.
- This is where the Democrats have failed in messaging the benefits of social safety net and social safety programs.
- And what that means is we have set up a financial safety net for Brittany in terms of a new trust.
- And so there's an optimism and a belief that there's a safety net that I don't think is truly there.
- the social safety net needs saving, and the misogyny needs to stop.
- And the one safety net that I had here was him.
Examples
-
So a woman might need to go to the hospital, but she has no safety net, no resources to fall back on.
-
The government established a social safety net to provide support for families in need during economic downturns.
-
For some people, especially children, welfare is an essential safety net.
Academic text (2003) -
We will have a lot of insights into how that social service safety net in Canada affects our labor policy.
Academic text (1996) -
The EU provided for guaranteed pay for work, workplace safety, and a social safety net.
Academic text (1997) -
The key steps would be improved social safety nets to cushion their transition and training programs to improve their skills.
Academic text (2002) -
Without a financial safety net, many people struggle to cope with unexpected expenses like medical bills.
-
Workers are reassured that the company offers a comprehensive safety net to protect them against job loss.
Synonyms
60
4.0
A way to protect someone or something from harm
38
2.0
Government actions that try to keep local businesses safe from foreign competition
10
3.9
A place or situation that protects people from danger
6
6.4
A plan or fund that protects against failure and emergencies
1
3.7
Extra money you keep for unexpected bills or emergencies
How Protective
∞
2.0
49
4.2
82
3.4
10
2.6
19
4.0
193
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning is directly inferable from 'safety' (protection) + 'net' (a device that catches/supports): a system that "catches" people in difficulty. Although metaphorical, the image is natural and commonly used cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily deduce the sense.
Etymology
Safety net comes from the picture of a circus net that catches a performer who falls, so people call a system like unemployment benefits a safety net because it 'catches' you when life goes wrong.