savior
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who saves someone from danger or a very difficult situation.
a person who rescues another from peril, harm, or a disastrous situation.
Simple“The local community hailed the brave firefighter as a savior after the rescue.”
In context“The investors were viewed as the company's saviors when their emergency funding prevented an immediate filing for bankruptcy.”
PitfallThe savior of the world. The Saviour of the world.While 'savior' is standard in American English, British English uses the spelling 'saviour'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a name used by Christians for Jesus Christ.
a title applied to Jesus Christ within Christian theology, representing the redeemer of sin.
Simple“The choir sang hymns praising their Savior during the Sunday service.”
In context“The cathedral's stained glass depicted various scenes from the life of the Savior, focusing on the themes of redemption and sacrifice.”
UsageUsually capitalized in this sense.
Teacher's tipNote that in British English, this is spelled 'Saviour'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a child born to provide a transplant or cells for a sick brother or sister.
a child conceived for the purpose of acting as a donor for a sibling with a life-threatening disease.
Simple“The media discussed the ethics of having a savior sibling to help the older son.”
In context“Bioethicists continue to debate the psychological implications for a savior child conceived specifically to provide bone marrow for a relative.”
UsageCommonly used in the compound 'savior sibling'.
Teacher's tipThis is a highly specialized term often found in medical ethics discussions.
“Photograph: Ian Dickson/Redferns In truth, Parker seemed an unlikely candidate for a saviour of rock.”
From savior. Doublet of Salvador.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.