noun
haven
HAY-vuhn
noun
1
A place of safety or shelter from danger or trouble.
"The shelter became a haven for stray animals."
"For her, the garden was a quiet haven from the noise of the city."
2
A harbour or sheltered stretch of water where ships can safely anchor.
"The fishing boats returned to the haven ahead of the storm."
How to Use Haven
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA safe, sheltered place — literally a harbour for ships, or more broadly any refuge from trouble.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "heaven," the afterlife — they sound alike but are unrelated in meaning and origin.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a safe haven
tax haven
haven from
Word Forms
havened past tense, havens plural, havens singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “haven”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The shelter became a _____ for stray animals.
Etymology
From Old English hæfen ("harbour, port"), related to German Hafen and Dutch haven, all pointing back to a Germanic word for the open sea.