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

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

The 350-suite hotel on the Salt River Reservation near Scottsdale was so full of vacationing families that we couldn’t get a room until Sunday, and it was nearly sold out that night, too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

Residents living in areas of Lake Riverside, Aguanga, Anza and the Cahuilla Reservation close to the fire were ordered to evacuate, while those slightly farther away were placed under evacuation warnings.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

This proved vital in rural areas like Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation Reservation, where local emergency services would not have been able to afford the lifesaving antidote.

From Salon • May 24, 2025

Protests against the pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation drew thousands, but Greenpeace argued it did not lead the demonstration and that the lawsuit threatened free speech.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025

Their permit required the signature of the Warden of the Reservation, at whose office next morning they duly presented themselves.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• doubt
• restriction
• skepticism