preservation

American  

[prez-er-vey-shuhn] / ˌprɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• preservations
  plural

1. the act or process of keeping something in existence.

   The creation, stabilization, and preservation of quality long-term affordable housing is a critical step in maintaining a healthy community.

2. the act or process of keeping something safe from damage or deterioration.

   The facilities include air-conditioned storage vaults for optimum preservation of the historic film archive.

   The natural growth of population continuously presents problems for the preservation of the environment.

3. the process of preparing food or other perishables to resist spoilage or decomposition.

   Historic techniques of food preservation include drying, smoking, pickling, and salting.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpreservation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preservations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of preservation

First recorded in 1400–50; from Medieval Latin praeservātion-, stem of praeservātio “a guarding,” equivalent to praeservāt-, stem of praeservāre + Latin -iō -ion ( def. ); see preserve ( def. )

Explanation

Use the noun preservation to refer to the protection of something — especially from loss, injury, or danger. You might fight for the preservation of the woodlands near your house because of all the animals that live there. Preservation is also a process that keeps organic things from decomposing. If the preservation of the flowers in your prom corsage is important to you, you can dry the flowers to keep them from decaying. If you dry them, they'll probably last longer than your relationship with your high school boyfriend! The word preservation is often used when referring to historic preservation, which is the protection of buildings and sites of historic significance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preservation preservations

Angie Wade, the tribal historic preservation officer for Chickaloon Village, one of the tribes involved in the lawsuit against the mine, said rampant mining has devastated Chickaloon areas in decades past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Cliquet said the funds seek out companies subject to regulatory agreements or concession contracts that offer long-term cash flow, which helps drive predictable patterns of returns and capital preservation for investors in those businesses.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Earlier preservation treatments may have accidentally created favorable conditions for certain microorganisms.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

Instead, every decision is quoted based on specific guidelines spelled out in the preservation plan, which was drafted and approved by Sunset Square residents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Public subsidy allowed formats that had become financially unviable - such as the nineteenth-century symphony orchestra - to prosper somewhat artificially in the twentieth century, justified by the preservation of heritage.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, also said it is important for civilian preservations to be spared, in line with international humanitarian law.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2023

The controversial, billion-dollar project pits a diverse group of activists, preservations, and local residents against Koike, the metropolitan government, and real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2023

The huia vanished before field-recording technologies existed, but a version of its song has survived by means of an eerie series of preservations: a sound fossil.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 1, 2016

Urban critics describe the flagpole as proof of state mismanagement of everything from preservations of historic treasures to maintenance of basic infrastructure.

From Reuters ● Feb. 8, 2015

Dozens of remarkable cases might be given of wonderful preservations at sea during this storm, and one or two have been cited.

From The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 2 by Frederick Whymper

Related Words

• care
• conservancy
• conservation
• safeguarding
• safety
• security
• storage