self-preservation

American  

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

noun

1. preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.

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self-preservation British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• self-preserving
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-preservation

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-preservation

The ICC isn’t good at putting away dictators, but it is excellent at self-preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 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

“It was sort of like a self-preservation thing,” he adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

During the trial, prosecution barrister Anne Whyte KC said Harris, who ended his legal career in 2016, had "absolutely no respect" for the victims and had gone through the trial in a move of "self-preservation".

From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025

I think maybe I’m missing some kind of self-preservation alarm in my head because this has cautionary tale written all over it.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy