well-secured
|well-se-cured|
🇺🇸
/ˌwɛl.sɪˈkjʊrd/
🇬🇧
/ˌwɛl.sɪˈkjʊəd/
firmly protected/guaranteed
Etymology
'well-secured' originates from English as a compound of the adverb 'well' and the past participle/adjective 'secured'; 'well' comes from Old English 'wel' meaning 'in a good or thorough manner', and 'secure' comes from Latin 'securus' via Old French meaning 'free from care' or 'safe'.
'secure' developed from Latin 'securus' into Old French forms (e.g. 'secur') and entered Middle English as 'secur(e)'; the construction combining an adverb + past participle (e.g. 'well-secured') is a modern English formation used to indicate the degree or manner of being secured.
Initially 'secure' (from Latin) had senses like 'free from care' or 'safe'; over time it came to mean 'made safe or protected' and, when combined with 'well', the compound came to mean 'firmly or thoroughly protected/guaranteed'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
firmly fastened, protected, or made safe so that loss, damage, or unauthorized access is unlikely.
The cargo was well-secured for the long sea voyage.
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Adjective 2
backed or guaranteed by adequate collateral or legal protection (e.g., a debt or claim that is well-secured).
The bank made a well-secured loan against the property.
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Last updated: 2025/08/24 09:33