secure
gb/sɪkjˈʊɹ/ us/sɪkjˈʊɹ/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Make something safe or protected
To keep something safe from harm or danger.
Usage pattern:
to secure [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'secure' with 'sure'. 'Secure' is about safety; 'sure' means certain.
Synonyms
protect (More general; may involve emotional or physical safety.)
|
safeguard (Often formal; emphasizes preventative protection.)
Antonyms
endanger (Means to put in danger, the opposite of making safe.)
Collocations
secure a building
|secure the area
|secure a door
|secure the perimeter
Themes
safety
|security
|daily life
|daily_life
|work
Examples
- The police worked quickly to secure the crime scene.
- Please secure your valuables before leaving the hotel room.
- They secured the gate with a heavy chain.
- Engineers secured the bridge to withstand strong winds.
Learner examples
- I locked the door to secure the house.
- She secured her bike with a lock.
- We need to secure the window before the storm.
- He secured the gate so the dog could not run away.
Verb
B2
action
2
Obtain something after effort
To get something you want after working for it.
Usage pattern:
to secure [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'ensure'. 'Secure' means get; 'ensure' means make certain.
Synonyms
obtain (Neutral; does not always imply effort.)
|
acquire (Formal; can mean gaining through purchase or effort.)
Antonyms
lose (Fail to keep or obtain something.)
Collocations
secure a job
|secure funding
|secure a contract
|secure a victory
Themes
business
|career
|goals
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She secured a place at a top university.
- The team secured a win in the final minutes.
- They secured funding for the new project.
- He managed to secure an interview with the CEO.
Learner examples
- I want to secure a good job after school.
- She secured a ticket for the concert.
- They secured first place in the race.
- We secured money for our trip.
adjective
A2
property
3
Free from danger or risk
Safe from danger or harm.
Synonyms
safe (Most common everyday word for not in danger.)
Antonyms
unsafe (Direct opposite; likely to cause harm.)
Collocations
feel secure
|a secure location
|secure environment
Themes
safety
|security
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- The children are secure in their new home.
- We need a secure place to store these documents.
- He feels secure knowing his family is nearby.
Learner examples
- I feel secure in my house.
- This is a secure building.
- The baby is secure in her bed.
Verb
A2
action
4
Fasten firmly in place
To make something stay in one place by fastening it tightly.
Usage pattern:
to secure [something] [with/to something]
Synonyms
fasten (General term for closing or attaching things.)
|
lock (Specifically means fastening with a lock.)
Antonyms
loosen (Make less tight or fixed.)
Collocations
secure with rope
|secure tightly
|secure to the wall
Themes
daily life
|construction
|daily_life
|work
Examples
- Secure the ladder before climbing it.
- She secured her hair with a clip.
- They secured the tent to the ground with stakes.
Learner examples
- Please secure your seatbelt.
- He secured the box with tape.
- We secured the boat to the dock.
Grammar
Dictionary form
secure
IPA
GB/sɪkjˈʊɹ/
US/sɪkjˈʊɹ/
Syllables & stress
se - cure (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cure)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: secure
- Comparative: securer
- Superlative: securest
Verb
- Base: secure
- 3rd Person Singular: secures
- Present Participle: securing
- Past: secured
Word family
Forms
secures
verb
securing
verb
secured
verb
securer
adjective
securest
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
insecure
adjective B1
insecurity
noun B1
Expressions
safe and secure
1/sˈeɪf ˈænd sɪkjˈʊɹ/
fixed phrase
Completely safe and protected
Completely safe and well-protected from harm or danger.
Examples
- The children are safe and secure at home.
- We felt safe and secure during our stay.
secure a foothold
1/sɪkjˈʊɹ ə fˈʊthˌoʊld/
fixed phrase
Establish a stable position
To get a strong position in a new place, situation, or market so you can grow or succeed there.
Examples
- The company secured a foothold in Asia last year.
- He secured a foothold in the industry through hard work.
secure the bag
1/sɪkjˈʊɹ ðə bˈæɡ/
idiom
informal
Get money or success quickly
To get money, success, or a good opportunity, often quickly or cleverly.
Examples
- He's working hard this year to secure the bag.
- She secured the bag with that big contract.