definitions

self-preservation

[ self-prez-er-vey-shuh n, self- ]
/ ˈsɛlfˌprɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /
|

noun

preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.

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Nearby words

self-pollination, self-portrait, self-possessed, self-possession, self-praise, self-preservation, self-pride, self-proclaimed, self-produced, self-professed, self-promotion

Origin of self-preservation

First recorded in 1605–15
Related formsself-pre·serv·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for self-preservation

British Dictionary definitions for self-preservation

self-preservation

noun

the preservation of oneself from danger or injury, esp as a basic instinct
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for self-preservation

self-preservation

n.

1610s, from self- + preservation. First attested in Donne.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper