reserve

American  

[ri-zurv] / rɪˈzɜrv /

verb (used with object)

• reserves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reserved,
  past participle,  past
• reserving
  present participle

1. to keep back or save for future use, disposal, treatment, etc.

   Synonyms:

   store, hold, husband

   Antonyms:

   squander

2. to retain or secure by express stipulation.

3. to set apart for a particular use, purpose, service, etc..

   ground reserved for gardening.

4. to keep for oneself.

5. to retain (the original color) of a surface, as on a painted ceramic piece.

6. to save or set aside (a portion of the Eucharistic elements) to be administered, as to the sick, outside of the Mass or communion service.

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noun

• reserves
  plural

1. Finance.

   1. cash, or assets readily convertible into cash, held aside, as by a corporation, bank, state or national government, etc., to meet expected or unexpected demands.

   2. uninvested cash held to comply with legal requirements.

2. something kept or stored for use or need; stock.

   a reserve of food.

   Synonyms:

   supply

3. a resource not normally called upon but available if needed.

4. a tract of public land set apart for a special purpose.

   a forest reserve.

5. an act of reserving; reservation, exception, or qualification.

   I will do what you ask, but with one reserve.

6. Military.

   1. a fraction of a military force held in readiness to sustain the attack or defense made by the rest of the force.

   2. the part of a country's fighting force not in active service.

   3. reserves, the enrolled but not regular components of the U.S. Army.

7. formality and self-restraint in manner and relationship; avoidance of familiarity or intimacy with others.

   to conduct oneself with reserve.

   Antonyms:

   warmth

8. reticence or silence.

   Synonyms:

   coldness, constraint, taciturnity

   Antonyms:

   warmth

adjective

1. kept in reserve; forming a reserve.

   a reserve fund; a reserve supply.

2. of or relating to the animal awarded second place in livestock shows.

   the reserve champion steer.

idioms

1. without reserve,

   1. without restraint; frankly; freely.

   2. (of articles at auction) without limitation as to the terms of sale, especially with no stipulated minimum price.

2. in reserve, put aside or withheld for a future need; reserved.

   money in reserve.

reserve British  

/ rɪˈzɜːv /

verb

1. to keep back or set aside, esp for future use or contingency; withhold

2. to keep for oneself; retain

   I reserve the right to question these men later

3. to obtain or secure by advance arrangement

   I have reserved two tickets for tonight's show

4. to delay delivery of (a judgment), esp in order to allow time for full consideration of the issues involved

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noun

1. 1. something kept back or set aside, esp for future use or contingency

   2. ( as modifier )

      a reserve stock

2. the state or condition of being reserved

   I have plenty in reserve

3. a tract of land set aside for the protection and conservation of wild animals, flowers, etc

   a nature reserve

4. Also called: reservation. an area of land set aside, esp (in the US and Canada) for American or Canadian Indian peoples

5. an area of publicly owned land set aside for sport, recreation, etc

6. the act of reserving; reservation

7. a member of a team who only plays if a playing member drops out; a substitute

8. (often plural)

   1. a part of an army or formation not committed to immediate action in a military engagement

   2. that part of a nation's armed services not in active service

9. coolness or formality of manner; restraint, silence, or reticence

10. finance

    1. a portion of capital not invested (a capital reserve ) or a portion of profits not distributed (a revenue or general reserve ) by a bank or business enterprise and held to meet legal requirements, future liabilities, or contingencies

    2. (often plural) liquid assets held by an organization, government, etc, to meet expenses and liabilities

11. without reservations; fully; wholeheartedly

Synonym Usage

See keep.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreserve
  noun
• reserver
  noun
• nonreservable
  adjective
• reservable
  adjective
• reserveless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reserves
  plural

Participles

• reserving
  present
• reserved
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reserve
  simple
• reserves
  simple
• have reserved
  perfect
• has reserved
  perfect
• am reserving
  progressive
• are reserving
  progressive
• is reserving
  progressive
• have been reserving
  perfect progressive
• has been reserving
  perfect progressive

Past

• reserved
  simple
• had reserved
  perfect
• was reserving
  progressive
• were reserving
  progressive
• had been reserving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reserve
  simple
• will have reserved
  perfect
• will be reserving
  progressive
• will have been reserving
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of reserve

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English reserven (verb) from Middle French reserver, from Latin reservāre “to keep back, retain,” equivalent to re- re- + servāre “to save”

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Explanation

As a noun, reserve refers to the quality of a shy or modest person who doesn’t easily express his or her feelings. As a verb, to reserve is to stash something away or to set it aside for future use. Reserve can also refer to backup supplies or resources. If a military is running out of ammunition or food, they may have to dig into the reserve to replenish their supplies. Reserve is also used as a verb to mean "obtain in advance." If you’re expecting a big crowd at your sister's dance recital, you might show up early to reserve seats for your family members. You could also reserve a table at a restaurant for dinner after the show.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reserve reserves reserved reserving

As passengers rushed to rebook flights, book rental cars and reserve hotel rooms, the FAA was trying to diagnose the problem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026

Hughes also echoed the sentiment that all investing should happen after you build up your cash reserve.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026

Maintaining that identity is essential because these specialized cells serve as the body's reserve supply for repairing injured muscle.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

But come the Rio 2016 Olympics, Oliva was left watching on as reserve.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

The power of life and death cannot be handed out blithely, but only with stoic and weighty reserve.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

The company at the heart of a multi-billion-dollar oil deal between Washington and Caracas is keen to show off renovations at Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo, one of the world's richest reserves.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026

Wales dug deep once more, tapping reserves of strength, discipline and concentration to repel that black wave.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026

Then there’s the issue of refilling global oil reserves, which have fallen to their lowest in years, to help offset the war’s supply disruptions.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026

Jackdaw's reserves amount to only a few months of UK gas demand, while Rosebank contains less than a year's worth of our oil consumption.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

Padva greets them with the practiced disinterest she reserves for pretty young things, but warms when they enthusiastically compliment her hair and jewels and dress.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

For the highly anticipated decision, the court sat in plenary formation, meaning that 11 judges took part instead of the usual five -- a format reserved for important cases.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

SoftBank reserved enough gas turbines to generate the power of six Hoover Dams.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

The cave could represent the earliest known burial location reserved for one sex by a human relative other than Homo sapiens.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

He said they received so many cards that the local post office had to have a special trolley cart reserved for the raptor center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

I wasn’t sure what it meant out here to ride to church with a man, but back home, that was reserved for courting couples.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

The area's growing evangelical population meanwhile is reserving judgment on the visit.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

Anyone wishing to take part in the free online conversation can do so by reserving a space on the event's booking website, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Just a few thousand cars are expected to be sold each year, with initial deliveries likely going to the people who began reserving their spot in line close to nine years ago.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Others say they are getting choosier when it comes to IPOs, with some reserving capital for Anthropic stock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

She’s already claimed a computer and her plaid backpack is draped across a second chair, reserving the seat for me.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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Related Words

• defer
• hoard
• maintain
• preserve
• retain
• save
• set aside
• stockpile
• withhold

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