preserved

[pri-zurvd]

adjective

1. (of food or any perishable substance) prepared by canning, pickling, salting, or the like, or treated by some process to prevent decomposition or fermentation.

   I had never had such fresh-tasting preserved fruit before.

2. kept safe from harm or injury; protected or spared.

   This is a wonderfully preserved example of Mayan cave art.

3. kept up or maintained; kept in good condition or health.

   Tucked in Amsterdam’s inner city is a uniquely preserved 17th-century house from the Dutch Golden Age.

4. kept alive or in existence.

   When I take a portrait photograph, I’m capturing a moment in a life, making it a preserved memory.

5. (of game or fish, natural habitats, etc.) maintained or reserved for continued hunting or fishing, or for private or public use and appreciation.

   New walking trails will be built through the preserved areas of parkland.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of preserve.

Other Word Forms

• semipreserved adjective
• unpreserved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of preserved¹

First recorded in 1550–60; preserve ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; preserve ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Creamy, sweet and packed with umami, this cheese is absolutely delectable crumbled in your favorite salads and paired with fresh fruits and preserved meats.

From Salon

One would be using Tyler Glasnow out of the bullpen in the wild-card round — an option the Dodgers preserved Saturday by removing him from his final regular-season start after just three innings.

From Los Angeles Times

The bodies remain at the scene and the location has been preserved for forensic examination.

From BBC

The archives of Paul R. Williams, who in 1921 became the first Black architect to be licensed west of the Mississippi, are also being preserved by the project.

From Los Angeles Times

Whatever repositories of learning that weren’t destroyed now exist on higher ground in the mountains, where the “knowledge base and collective memory were largely preserved.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• covered www.thesaurus.com
• guaranteed www.thesaurus.com
• guarded 
• secured www.thesaurus.com
• sheltered