self-preservation

American  

[self-prez-er-vey-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlfˌprɛz ərˈveɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.

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self-preservation British  

noun

1. the preservation of oneself from danger or injury, esp as a basic instinct

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Other Word Forms

• self-preserving
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-preservation

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-preservation

The ICC isn’t good at putting away dictators, but it is excellent at self-preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

When faced with a legitimate mass threat to human life, many people would abandon mutuality and compassion in favor of self-preservation.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

Our legal system seems well prepared to scrutinize and punish their acts of self-preservation instead of examining the circumstances that made those acts necessary.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

"The idea first developed as self-preservation," he explains, but it transformed the battlefield.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

The other safety measures, which we soon inaugurated as a matter of self-preservation, were our own.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey