Meanings
plural safety factors
- engineeringThe ratio of the maximum stress or load which something can withstand to the stress or load which it was designed to withstand under normal operation.
The common safety factor used for elevator support cables is 11.
Synonyms: factor of safety
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe ratio of the maximum stress or load which something can withstand to the stress or load which it was designed to withstand under normal operation.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe ratio of the breaking stress of a structure to the estimated maximum stress in ordinary use
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 安全係數 /安全系数
- 安全係數 /安全系数 (ānquán xìshù)Translations
Cite this entry
safety factor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/safety%20factor
“safety factor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/safety%20factor. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “safety factor,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/safety%20factor.
Source: safety factor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.