reservation

[rez-er-vey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of keeping back, withholding, or setting apart.

2. the act of making an exception or qualification.

3. an exception or qualification made expressly or tacitly.

   to accept something, but with inner reservations.

4. a tract of public land set apart for a special purpose, as for the use of an Indian tribe.

5. an arrangement to secure accommodations at a restaurant or hotel, on a boat or plane, etc.

6. the record kept or assurance given of such an arrangement.

   Sorry, the hotel has no reservation under that name.

reservation

/ ˌrɛzəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of reserving

2. something reserved, esp hotel accommodation, a seat on an aeroplane, in a theatre, etc

3. (often plural) a stated or unstated qualification of opinion that prevents one's wholehearted acceptance of a proposal, claim, statement, etc

4. an area of land set aside, esp (in the US) for American Indian peoples

5. the strip of land between the two carriageways of a dual carriageway

6. the act or process of keeping back, esp for oneself; withholding

7. law a right or interest retained by the grantor in property granted, conveyed, leased, etc, to another

   a reservation of rent

Other Word Forms

• nonreservation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reservation¹

1350–1400; Middle English reservacioun < Middle French reservation, equivalent to reserv ( er ) to reserve + -ation -ation

Example Sentences

Pay attention to how much they research and plan dates, she said: “The reservation is there. It’s well thought out.”

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The same went for children born in quasi-sovereign tribal Indian enclaves, precursors of today’s reservations.

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Still, his shutdown specials—$7 martinis and $12 double smash burgers—have packed in lunchtime crowds and booked up evening reservations.

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Al-Hayya and other senior political officials based outside of Gaza favor accepting the proposal despite significant reservations, Arab mediators said.

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Monetising those eyeballs has led to online reservation services being offered, with a commission of 10-15 percent paid for each booking.

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Related Words

• doubt 
• restriction 
• skepticism