reservation

American  

[rez-er-vey-shuhn] / ˌrɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of keeping back, withholding, or setting apart.

2. the act of making an exception or qualification.

3. an exception or qualification made expressly or tacitly.

   to accept something, but with inner reservations.

4. a tract of public land set apart for a special purpose, as for the use of an Indian tribe.

5. an arrangement to secure accommodations at a restaurant or hotel, on a boat or plane, etc.

6. the record kept or assurance given of such an arrangement.

   Sorry, the hotel has no reservation under that name.

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reservation British  

/ ˌrɛzəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of reserving

2. something reserved, esp hotel accommodation, a seat on an aeroplane, in a theatre, etc

3. (often plural) a stated or unstated qualification of opinion that prevents one's wholehearted acceptance of a proposal, claim, statement, etc

4. an area of land set aside, esp (in the US) for American Indian peoples

5. the strip of land between the two carriageways of a dual carriageway

6. the act or process of keeping back, esp for oneself; withholding

7. law a right or interest retained by the grantor in property granted, conveyed, leased, etc, to another

   a reservation of rent

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Other Word Forms

• nonreservation noun

Etymology

Origin of reservation

1350–1400; Middle English reservacioun < Middle French reservation, equivalent to reserv ( er ) to reserve + -ation -ation

Example Sentences

States also have authority under the Tenth Amendment’s reservation to the states and people the power to run their own state elections.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

SHM said it will issue refunds of reservation fees for Afeela 1 vehicles in California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The stakes are lower with something like an agentic concierge — you might have to pay a fee if you miss a scheduled restaurant reservation, for example.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Boyd runs the reservation book himself, old-school and by phone only — and there’s simply no cutting the line.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

While unicorns and merpeople are only too happy to stay within the territories designated for their use, dragons will seek any opportunity to set forth in search of prey beyond the reservation borders.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• doubt
• restriction
• skepticism