preservation

American  

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

noun

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

• nonpreservation noun

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. ); preserve ( def. )

Example Sentences

Malmö isn’t skateboarding’s only act of historical preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s what we like to hear — it’s not what we often hear,” says the president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation.

From Los Angeles Times

The long consignment to the wilderness thwarts “preservation, access, education, creative reuse, scholarship, etc., when most of the works are out of circulation and not benefiting any rights holders.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said Butyagin had ensured conservation and preservation of the site he was excavating.

From BBC

When they are found, it is often in desert environments such as the Sahara or Antarctica, where preservation conditions are favorable.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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