it is best to be on the safe side
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To act with caution to avoid potential risks or problems.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Tốt nhất nên cẩn thận để tránh rủi ro hoặc vấn đề tiềm ẩn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: being physically on the safe side of a boundary or hazard
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “it is best to be on the safe side” mean?
To act with caution to avoid potential risks or problems. Literally: being physically on the safe side of a boundary or hazard
Is “it is best to be on the safe side” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.