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Synonyms

reserved

American  
[ri-zurvd] / rɪˈzɜrvd /

adjective

  1. kept or set apart for some particular use or purpose.

  2. kept by special arrangement for some person.

    a reserved seat.

  3. formal or self-restrained in manner and relationship; avoiding familiarity or intimacy with others.

    a quiet, reserved man.
    Synonyms:
    composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled

  4. characterized by reserve, as the disposition, manner, etc..

    reserved comments.
    Synonyms:
    composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled

  5. retaining the original color of a surface, especially when decorating portions of the surface with other colors.

reserved British  
/ rɪˈzɜːvd, rɪˈzɜːvɪdlɪ /

adjective

  1. set aside for use by a particular person or people

    this table is reserved

  2. cool or formal in manner; restrained, silent, or reticent

  3. destined; fated

    reserved for great things

  4. referring to matters that are the responsibility of the national parliament rather than a devolved regional assembly

    defence is a reserved issue
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overreserved adjective
  • overreservedly adverb
  • overreservedness noun
  • reservedly adverb
  • reservedness noun

Etymology

Origin of reserved

A late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; reserve, -ed 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At Stellantis headquarters, preferred parking is reserved for company-made cars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The first tickets will go on sale from April 2-6 in a presale window reserved only for locals in Southern California and Oklahoma.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Normally, having your work featured in Vogue is reserved for top industry names but for one photographer, that dream became a reality.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The ruling also suspends a Pentagon designation of Anthropic, creator of the Claude AI model, as a national security supply chain risk -- a label typically reserved for organizations from unfriendly foreign countries.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

There was no hotel suite reserved for the wait; there were no trays of canapés laid out, no television blaring from any corner.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.