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Meaning & use

haven

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈheɪvn/
US/ˈheɪvn/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A place where people or animals are safe from danger or trouble.

    Grammar: Often followed by for or from: a haven for refugees.

    Patterns

    • a haven for someone
    • a haven from something

    The shelter was a haven for stray cats.

    Her garden is a haven from the noise of the city.

    The small town became a haven for artists.

  2. nouncountablefinance

    A country or place that attracts people or companies who want to avoid something, such as taxes.

    Grammar: Usually in compounds like tax haven.

    Patterns

    • a tax haven

    Some companies hide profits in a tax haven.

    The island is a haven for offshore banks.

    Critics call the country a haven for money laundering.

  3. nouncountableold-fashionedliterary

    A harbor or port where ships can shelter.

    Grammar: Old-fashioned for a harbor, now mostly seen in place names.

    Patterns

    • a safe haven

    The ship reached a quiet haven before the storm.

    Fishermen found a haven in the cove.

    The old chart showed a haven on the coast.

Word forms

pluralhavens

Common combinations

safe haven
The park was a safe haven for the children.
tax haven
The bank moved money to a tax haven.
a haven of peace
The cabin was a haven of peace.
haven for wildlife
The marsh is a haven for wildlife.
seek haven
Many families sought haven abroad.

Synonyms and how they differ

refuge
Refuge stresses escape from danger, while haven can also mean a pleasant, peaceful place.
sanctuary
Sanctuary often carries protection by law or religion, and haven is looser.
shelter
Shelter is the practical word for protection from weather or danger.
retreat
Retreat is a place you go to get away, often by choice, not necessarily for safety.

Opposites

danger zone

Word family

heaven noun
a place of perfect happiness, a different word with a similar sound
harbor noun
a sheltered port, close in meaning to the old sense of haven
safe haven noun
a place of safety, often for refugees or investments
havenless adjective
without a safe place, a rare word

Commonly confused: haven or heaven? haven or haven't?

haven vs heaven

Heaven is a paradise or the sky, while haven is a safe place; the words differ by one letter and sound different.

haven vs haven't

Haven't is the contraction of have not and has no link to the noun.

Practice

After a stressful week, the little cafe felt like a ____ of calm.

Make it your own

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