Differences Between Vaults and Safes

A vault and a safe do have one thing in common: They are designed to store things. However, there are some differences that distinguish one from the other.

Vault

A word from the 14th-century, "vault" was used to describe a particular architectural feature (arched structure forming a ceiling or roof) or a burial chamber.

Vault as Storage

More than a word used to describe where people are laid to rest, "vault" came to describe a room or place to store certain valuables.

Safe

The word "safe" is of late-19th-century origin. Unlike a vault, a safe was described as a box used to store valuables, often money. Thus, it was sometimes referred to as a "safety-deposit box."

Vault in Modern-Day Usage

A vault these days is commonly associated with a strongroom in a bank where the institution's valuables (including money) are stored.

Vault as a Type of Safe

A bank vault operates like a safe; indeed, it can be considered a bigger, tougher, more complex version. It is integrated with the institution's building, is of tougher build and usually has a more complex locking system.

References

• Vault Definition
• Safe Definition
• The Wall Street Journal; Immovable Objects; If They're Bank Vaults, Make Nice Restaurants; Amy Merrick; 2001