salvation
/sælˈveɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /sælˈveɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /sal-ˈvā-shən/ (ame, mw)
salvation — noun
1. the act of keeping someone or something safe from danger, harm, or an unpleasant
the act of keeping someone or something safe from danger, harm, or an unpleasant situation; also used for the specific person, thing, or action that achieves this
The flood survivors saw the rescue helicopters as their only salvation from the rising water.
collocation: only salvation + from [physical danger]
Nila started a small garden, and tending it became her salvation during months of loneliness.
pattern: became [possessive] salvation
It was only after the earthquake that the emergency fund became the family's salvation.
For Mira, the weekly art class was a salvation from the pressure of office work.
- rescue
more concrete and physical; focuses on the action of pulling someone out of immediate danger rather than the means of deliverance
- deliverance
more formal and often carries a literary or spiritual tone; less common in everyday speech
- relief
less about being saved from danger and more about the easing of pain or worry; does not imply the same level of threat
用法筆記
Often used in fixed expressions like 'one's only salvation' or 'the salvation of [someone/something]'. The countable form 'a salvation' is possible but less common, and only in the general (non-religious) sense.
常見錯誤
2. in the Christian faith, the belief that a person is set free from evil's control
in the Christian faith, the belief that a person is set free from evil's control and granted eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
During the baptism ceremony, the priest described salvation as a new beginning for the believers.
collocation: described salvation as
Tariro read Bible passages about salvation each evening and found peace in them.
collocation: read about salvation
The church's message of salvation through Jesus Christ has brought hope to many followers.
For Andrew, accepting salvation meant changing his way of life and helping others in need.
- redemption
strongly religious; emphasizes being 'bought back' or freed from sin through a payment or sacrifice, whereas salvation emphasizes being saved from consequences
- justification
a narrower theological term referring specifically to being declared righteous before God; used in formal theology more than everyday speech
用法筆記
In Christian theology, salvation is typically understood as a free gift received through faith, not something earned by good deeds. This sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'a salvation' in this meaning. Distinguished from sense 1 by its exclusively religious frame of reference: the danger is spiritual (sin, evil) rather than physical, and the means of rescue is divine (God, Jesus Christ) rather than human.