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

It recommends that “underallocated investors add exposure to stocks,” but it also sees “value in quality bonds, gold, and capital preservation strategies.”

From Barron's

That is pushing them to rethink risk, diversification, and wealth preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their unusual preservation has drawn intense interest from scientists, who want to understand how such fragile life forms were recorded so clearly in sandstone.

From Science Daily

Where coming-of-age stories often confront the crush of innocence — the fracture and shock of stolen virtue — Thompson-Hernández instead renders one about preservation.

From Los Angeles Times

Nowhere is that more evident than in Italy’s central and northern regions, where mountain cooking, preservation, and harsh winter shaped a cuisine far removed from the checkered-tablecloth stereotype.

From Salon

Related Words

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