noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preservative
1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and noun) < Middle French preservatif (adj.) < Medieval Latin praeservātīvus. See preserve, -ative
Explanation
Anything that's preservative keeps things alive, healthy, or fresh. Some cooks swear by the preservative powers of lemon juice, which can keep fruit tasting fresh and save avocado slices from turning brown. Use preservative as an adjective — or a noun, for a chemical or other substance that keeps something from dying or breaking down. Food preservatives are sometimes added to make edible things last longer, and to items like medication and cosmetics, so they don't decay before you've finished using them. Preservative followed the verb preserve, which in the fourteenth century meant "to keep something safe."
Vocabulary lists containing preservative
Novel Study: Fahrenheit 451, Part I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Million Dollar Shot
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Allegedly" by Tiffany D. Jackson, Chapters 2–4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In 1941, the company purchased distilling facilities in Virginia and Lyons, N.Y., to increase production, then during the war it made pectin, a vital preservative used in military food rations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Costco’s famed $4.99 rotisserie chicken is under fire in a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that the big box warehouse falsely advertised that its birds were preservative free.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
In their analysis, Inserm researchers divided preservative additives into two main groups.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
More than 700,000 of those products contained at least one preservative.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
He suggested that she increase the proportion of preservative that she used.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
