salvation

• salvatioun (obsolete)

From Middle English savacioun, from Old French savaciun, salvaciun, from Latin salvātiō. Displaced native Old English hǣlu.

• IPA^(key): /sælˈveɪʃən/

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

salvation (countable and uncountable, plural salvations)

1. (religion) The process of being saved, the state of having been saved (from hell).

   Collective salvation is not possible without personal salvation, but the latter is achievable.

2. (often with allusion to the previous sense) The act of saving, rescuing (in any context), providing needed safety or liberation; something that does this.
   • 1981 December 5, Tom Wilson, “Hepatitis”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 20, page 14:

     Though this is not meant as a medical advice, smoking grass was an occasional salvation; it reduced the nausea, raised my spirits and even gave me a small appetite.

3. The process of being restored or made new for the purpose of becoming saved; the process of being rid of the old poor quality conditions and becoming improved.
   • 1964 May, “News and Comment: Minister hamstrings BR workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 291:

     If the Government believes that part of the railways' salvation is to be found in ridding them of extraneous concerns, it should have had the courage either to close the railway works down as quickly as possible, or to hive them off as an entirely separate concern, [...].

• (antonym(s) of “in religion”): damnation, perdition

salvation (third-person singular simple present salvations, present participle salvationing, simple past and past participle salvationed)

1. (rare) To save, in the religious sense; to bring to salvation.

• lavations

salvation

1. Alternative form of savacioun