preservation

noun

pres·​er·​va·​tion ˌpre-zər-ˈvā-shən 

: the act, process, or result of preserving something: such as

a

: the activity or process of keeping something valued alive, intact, or free from damage or decay

preservation of state parks/monuments

preservation of an old tradition

The special emphasis of recent years on preservation continued in 1988. More than 8,000 brittle volumes (1.5 million pages) were committed to microfilm; an additional 777 rare books, manuscripts, and historical films received special conservation treatment.

—Library and Book Trade Almanac

These and so many lesser red flags seem finally to be shifting public interest toward the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats.

—E. Annie Proulx

b

: the preparation of food for future use (as by canning, pickling, or freezing) to prevent spoilage

the use of salt in the preservation of meat

In the years following the first Earth Day in 1970, a contingent of Americans insisted on developing pesticide-free systems of farming and anti-chemical methods of food preservation and preparation.

—Tibbett L. Speer

Synonyms

• care and feeding
• conservation
• conserving
• keep
• maintenance
• preserving
• sustentation
• upkeep

Examples of preservation in a Sentence

each curator is responsible for the preservation of the works of art within his or her department

the preservation of the tropical rainforests is a global responsibility

Recent Examples on the Web

As President Trump’s administration begins its second term, the call to action for data preservation is more urgent than ever. —Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

The Shreveport City Council passed a resolution two weeks ago urging the state Legislature to retain the credits for filming and for preservation of historic buildings. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024

Merrell and Tomlin contacted William Quackenbush, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, who visited the cemetery in February, 2022. —Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2024

Those transcripts are distributed to the public and the National Archives for preservation. —Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing preservation

• preservation order
• self-preservation
• state of preservation

Kids Definition

preservation

noun

pres·​er·​va·​tion

ˌprez-ər-ˈvā-shən

: a keeping from injury, loss, or decay