save

Save is an English verb with several related meanings. In its core sense, to save means to rescue someone or something from danger or to keep it safe from harm. It also means to preserve or maintain something for future use, such as saving a document or saving energy, time, or resources. The noun forms “save” (rare) and “savings” refer to the act of saving or to money set aside.

Origins: save comes from Old French sauver, from Latin salvare "to save, make safe," passing into English via Old English and Middle English usage.

Common uses include financial and everyday contexts, computing, sports, and formal phrasing. Financially, to save money or energy means to refrain from spending or consuming and to accumulate for later need. In computing, to save a file is to write data to persistent storage, while autosave and version histories automate the process. In video games and other software, a “save” is a stored state that allows resuming later. In sports, a save is a statistic credited to a pitcher who preserves a team’s lead by finishing a game under defined conditions. The verb can also appear in archaic or formal phrases meaning “except,” as in “All were present save John.”

Noun forms include a “save” (the act of saving), “savings” (money set aside), and “save” in sports. The related adjective “safe” is etymologically connected but distinct.

See also Salvation, Savior, Conservation, Backup, Data persistence.