noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preservative
1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and noun) < Middle French preservatif (adj.) < Medieval Latin praeservātīvus. See preserve, -ative
Explanation
Anything that's preservative keeps things alive, healthy, or fresh. Some cooks swear by the preservative powers of lemon juice, which can keep fruit tasting fresh and save avocado slices from turning brown. Use preservative as an adjective — or a noun, for a chemical or other substance that keeps something from dying or breaking down. Food preservatives are sometimes added to make edible things last longer, and to items like medication and cosmetics, so they don't decay before you've finished using them. Preservative followed the verb preserve, which in the fourteenth century meant "to keep something safe."
Vocabulary lists containing preservative
Novel Study: Fahrenheit 451, Part I
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The Million Dollar Shot
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"Allegedly" by Tiffany D. Jackson, Chapters 2–4
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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.
In 1941, the company purchased distilling facilities in Virginia and Lyons, N.Y., to increase production, then during the war it made pectin, a vital preservative used in military food rations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
It is commonly used as a preservative, an antibacterial agent, and in leather tanning.
From Science Daily • Feb. 3, 2026
Overall preservative consumption was linked to a 47% higher risk.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
In the study, 40 babies were injected with vaccines containing thimerosal, while a control group of 21 babies got shots that did not contain the preservative.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025
The cant of the ship made for hard pushing, but under their combined effort, the spool slowly rumbled forward, crunching over blistered preservative paint and loosened metal deck plates.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
