Salvation
noun /sælˈveɪʃən/ — Deliverance from harm or loss — in theology, rescue from sin; in secular use, whatever saves.
Definition
Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss; (in Christian theology) deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Jesus Christ.
Beyond the definition
Salvation is the great word of rescue — from sin, from danger, from the ordinary world. Its secular use retains this: the thing that saves you from the situation you were in. Salvation stories are the oldest stories — they are why narrative exists.
Origin & history
From Latin salvatio — preservation (from salvare: to save, from salvus: safe). The saving — salvation as the act and result of being made safe.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The discovery of the new treatment was salvation — in the most literal, clinical sense.
She found her salvation in the work — the one thing that made the rest of it bearable.
Salvation stories all share a structure: the terrible state, the rescue, the after. It is the oldest narrative.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Salvation” when the meaning fits your context: Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss; (in Christian theology) deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Jesus Christ.
Synonyms
deliverance, rescue, redemption, preservation, escape
Antonyms
damnation, ruin, loss, destruction
Related words
Salvation vs redemption
Salvation focuses on being rescued from an external threat or final doom. Redemption emphasizes the internal restoration or transformation of the individual.
Compare this word
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Recovery and Renewal
An adult sits in a sunlit conservatory with a mobility aid, observing a plant that is regrowing after being pruned.
The recovery from injury and the regrowth of the plant together symbolize salvation—deliverance from harm and loss. The quiet, calm environment emphasizes the deliberate, supported process of renewal, mirroring the theological concept of being saved and restored through grace.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Salvation" mean?
Salvation is noun meaning: Deliverance from harm or loss — in theology, rescue from sin; in secular use, whatever saves.. Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss; (in Christian theology) deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Jesus Christ.
Where does the word "Salvation" come from?
From Latin salvatio — preservation (from salvare: to save, from salvus: safe). The saving — salvation as the act and result of being made safe.