preserved

American  

[pri-zurvd] / prɪˈzɜrvd /

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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• semipreserved
  adjective
• unpreserved
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of preserved

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

Explanation

Something that's preserved is kept in its original state or kept alive and fresh. Preserved artifacts are protected from damage, often in a museum where they can be kept safe. Preserved food is treated in some way that makes it spoil much more slowly than it would otherwise. Sometimes this is done by adding chemical preservatives, and other times it's a more natural process, involving drying, pickling, salting, or canning. Preserved fruit, cooked with sugar and sealed in jars, is also called preserves. These words all stem from the Medieval Latin preservare, "keep safe."

Example Sentences

But Bosniak officials argue that the high representative's discretionary authority should be preserved.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

“With key exemptions largely preserved, this does not look especially disruptive and is unlikely to materially change economic forecasts — it mostly confirms what markets and businesses were already expecting.”

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

The site contains multiple fossil quarries that have been excavated for decades and continues to yield exceptionally preserved specimens from the Late Triassic.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

That rapid release effectively preserved the enhanced superconducting properties, allowing the material to remain stable even after returning to normal pressure conditions.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

We the scholars of the Temple of Lkossa’s Great Library thusly deem that no literature about it shall be recorded or preserved, except for a simple record of those whose lives it takes.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• covered
• guaranteed
• guarded
• secured
• sheltered