preservation

American  

[prez-er-vay-shuhn] / ˌprɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• preservations
  plural

1. the act or process of keeping something in existence.

   The creation, stabilization, and preservation of quality long-term affordable housing is a critical step in maintaining a healthy community.

2. the act or process of keeping something safe from damage or deterioration.

   The facilities include air-conditioned storage vaults for optimum preservation of the historic film archive.

   The natural growth of population continuously presents problems for the preservation of the environment.

3. the process of preparing food or other perishables to resist spoilage or decomposition.

   Historic techniques of food preservation include drying, smoking, pickling, and salting.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpreservation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preservations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of preservation

First recorded in 1400–50; from Medieval Latin praeservātion-, stem of praeservātio “a guarding,” equivalent to praeservāt-, stem of praeservāre + Latin -iō -ion ( def. ); see preserve ( def. )

Explanation

Use the noun preservation to refer to the protection of something — especially from loss, injury, or danger. You might fight for the preservation of the woodlands near your house because of all the animals that live there. Preservation is also a process that keeps organic things from decomposing. If the preservation of the flowers in your prom corsage is important to you, you can dry the flowers to keep them from decaying. If you dry them, they'll probably last longer than your relationship with your high school boyfriend! The word preservation is often used when referring to historic preservation, which is the protection of buildings and sites of historic significance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preservation preservations

Drugmakers are targeting muscle preservation and fat loss as they build the next generation of weight-loss medications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

It draws its beliefs from the teachings of Lord Swaminarayan, a late 18th-Century celibate ascetic who is regarded by his followers as an incarnation of Vishnu, the revered Hindu god of preservation.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

That unusual preservation made DOM 08006 an especially promising place to search for evidence of magnetic fields from the earliest solar system.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

Last year, the city awarded $360.9 million to 80 projects that promise the construction of 1,288 new affordable units and the preservation of 3,713 units, mostly clustered around downtown L.A.,

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Now he can visit schools and teach kids about wildlife preservation.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, also said it is important for civilian preservations to be spared, in line with international humanitarian law.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2023

The controversial, billion-dollar project pits a diverse group of activists, preservations, and local residents against Koike, the metropolitan government, and real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2023

The huia vanished before field-recording technologies existed, but a version of its song has survived by means of an eerie series of preservations: a sound fossil.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 1, 2016

Urban critics describe the flagpole as proof of state mismanagement of everything from preservations of historic treasures to maintenance of basic infrastructure.

From Reuters ● Feb. 8, 2015

We shall find our ideas, for example, and our customs, a strange mixture of useful preservations, and absurd or positively harmful relics of the past.

From Human Traits and their Social Significance by Irwin Edman

Related Words

• care
• conservancy
• conservation
• safeguarding
• safety
• security
• storage