reservation

American  

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

noun

• reservations
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• nonreservation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reservations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of reservation

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

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Explanation

A reservation is something set aside, like a table at a restaurant or land for Native Americans. For fancy restaurants and hotels, you need a reservation: you call ahead and ask them to set aside a table or room for you. A reservation is also a piece of land set aside by the government for a group. In the U.S., there are Native American reservations. Sometimes a reservation is a doubt. If you have reservations about taking a trip to Australia, then you're not sure about it. You're not rushing to make reservations at a hotel there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reservation reservations

At least one of those customers said his reservation was converted into an order for a Roadster capable of using SpaceX thrusters to reach high speeds.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

"I deeply regret it and offer my heartfelt apologies without reservation."

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

“What I would want to caution people against is thinking that the thirst or the engagement is the end — that’s been my reservation with it,” she said.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Stay on top of your reservation and know your rights, whether you get advance notice of seat changes or find out at the airport, like Prati.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Do not attempt to get on any bus other than the one for which you have a reservation.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My main concern: The one complication is that I have some reservations about the long-term stability of my younger son’s marriage.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

“Many people have reservations about this scenario. After all, your son-in-law or daughter-in-law could remarry and the assets you worked a lifetime to accumulate could end up benefiting their new spouse.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Advance reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center can be made beginning Oct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Agentic software can autonomously perform specific tasks such as coding, research, shopping, booking reservations or shopping.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

In the face of these it was best to move quickly and without reservations, as Horace himself did as a matter of principle.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

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Related Words

• doubt
• restriction
• skepticism

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