From Middle English savegard, from Middle French sauvegarde, from Old French - salve garde, sauve garde, reconstructed as safe + guard.

• IPA: /ˈseɪfɡɑː(ɹ)d/

safeguard (plural safeguards)

1. Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense.

   Getting a flu shot is a good safeguard against illness.

2. One who, or that which, defends or protects; defence; protection.
   • 1726, George Granville, To the King, in the First Year of His Majesty's Reign:

     Thy sword, the safeguard of thy brother's throne.

3. A safe-conduct or passport, especially in time of war.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:

     the inheritance of their loves and safeguard

4. (obsolete) The monitor lizard.
   • 1844, The Animal Kingdom:

     The same idea is entertained of the Safeguard in America, as of the Monitor in Africa, and other parts of the Old World, […]

• German: Sicherung, Schutz, Absicherung
• Italian: salvaguardia, tutela, difesa, garanzia
• Portuguese: salvaguarda
• Russian: гара́нтия
• Spanish: salvaguardia

• Spanish: salvaguardia

safeguard (safeguards, present participle safeguarding; simple past and past participle safeguarded)

1. To protect, to keep safe.

   She kept a savings to safeguard against debt and emergencies.

2. (UK, Ireland, by extension) To implement safeguarding.
3. To escort safely.

• French: protéger
• German: absichern (with gegen), schützen (with vor)
• Italian: salvaguardare
• Portuguese: salvaguardar
• Spanish: salvaguardar, resguardar