What does "haven" mean?
A harbour or anchorage protected from the sea.
Haven
/ˈheɪvən/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A harbour or anchorage protected from the sea.
- Grammar: haven is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: harbor, harbour, oasis, anchorage.
- Useful contrasts: crucible, danger, hazard.
- Usage evidence: The Bible, as a revelation from God, was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest.
How to use "haven"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "haven" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "haven" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "haven" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "haven" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "haven" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "harbor" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "haven", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A harbour or anchorage protected from the sea. dated
"And the stately ships go on / To their haven under the hill;"
- 2 a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary wordnet
- 3 A safe place.
"Since its conception, the European Union has been a haven for those seeking refuge from war, persecution and poverty in other parts of the world."
- 4 a sheltered port where ships can take on or discharge cargo wordnet
- 5 A peaceful or tranquil place.
Verb
- 1 To put into, or provide with a haven.
- 2 plural simple present of have form-of, obsolete, plural, present
"And they that occupye them bene in moche ſauegarde, and hauen greate conſolacyon, and bene the readyer vnto all goodnes, the ſlower to all euyll, and yf they haue done any thing amyſe, anone euen by the ſyght of the bookes theyꝛ conſciences bene admoniſhed, and they waxen ſoꝛy ⁊ aſhamed of the facte."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A unisex given name of modern usage.
- 3 A place in the United States:; A city in Reno County, Kansas.
- 4 A place in the United States:; A township in Sherburne County, Minnesota, named after John Ormsbee Haven.
- 5 A place in the United States:; A hamlet in Sullivan County, New York.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A place in the United States:; A ghost town in Grant County, Washington.
- 7 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in the town of Mosel, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
- 8 A town in the Rural City of Horsham, Victoria, Australia.
Example
"The Bible, as a revelation from God, was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "haven"?
Common synonyms include: harbor, harbour, oasis, anchorage, anchorage ground, ark.
How do you use "haven" in a sentence?
The Bible, as a revelation from God, was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest.
How do you pronounce "haven"?
Pronounced /ˈheɪvən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English haven, havene, from Old English hæfen (“haven; harbour; port”), from Proto-West Germanic *habanu, from Proto-Germanic *habnō, *habanō (compare Dutch haven, German Hafen, Norwegian/Danish havn, Swedish hamn, French havre), from Proto-Germanic *habą (“sea”) (compare Old English hæf, Middle Low German haf, Old Norse haf (“sea”), German Haff (“bay or lagoon behind a spit”), perhaps, in the sense of "heaving sea", etymologically identical with Old Norse haf (“heaving, lifting, uplift, elevation”), derived from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift, heave”)), or from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pnós (compare Old Irish cúan (“harbor, recess, haven”)). Doublet of abra.
Etymology 2
From Middle English haven; equivalent to have + -en (plural simple present ending).