salˈvāshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English salvacioun, sauvacioun, from Old French salvation, sauvation, from Late Latin salvation-, salvatio, from salvatus (past participle of salvare to save) + Latin -ion-, -io -ion — more at save
1. : the saving of man from the power and effects of sin: as
a. : his deliverance from the condition of spiritual isolation and estrangement to a reconciled relationship of community with God and fellowmen : redemption from spiritual lostness to religious fulfillment and restoration to the fullness of God's favor
b. : redemption from ultimate damnation through divine agency
c. : the deliverance of the soul from sin or the spiritual consequences of sin : the saving of a person's soul from eternal punishment and its admission into heavenly beatitude
2. : liberation from ignorance or illusion : deliverance from clinging to the phenomenal world of appearance and final union with ultimate reality
salvation in Hinduism implies deliverance from samsara
3. Christian Science : the realization of the supremacy of infinite Mind over all bringing with it the destruction of the illusion of sin, sickness, and death
4. : preservation especially from destruction, disintegration, or failure : final deliverance especially from dangers, difficulties, or deficiencies
salvation from alcoholism — H.C.Webster
pursuit of individual salvation through hard work — W.H.Whyte
seeks in religion salvation from the evils and dangers of the times — H.J.Morgenthau
5. : the agent, the means, or the course of spiritual experiences determining the soul's redemption
Christ is our salvation
preach salvation
6. : something that saves or delivers from danger or difficulty : the source, cause, or means of preservation
tourism is their only economic salvation — T.H.Fielding
arboreal habitat was the evolutionary salvation of the primates — Weston La Barre