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self-preservation

American

[self-prez-er-vay-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlfˌprɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.

self-preservation British

noun

the preservation of oneself from danger or injury, esp as a basic instinct

"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

self-preserving

adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-preservation

First recorded in 1605–15

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.

See Examples For:

self-preservation

I also wouldn’t assign her fibs any intention other than self-preservation.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Our legal system seems well prepared to scrutinize and punish their acts of self-preservation instead of examining the circumstances that made those acts necessary.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

Even those with lives, careers and families are fundamentally lost, snared between their pursuit of personal justice and instinctual self-preservation.

From Salon ● May 19, 2026

I deemed this an act of maturity and self-preservation, definitely not cowardice.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

I must have blocked most of it out for self-preservation.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

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