: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
Examples of preservative in a Sentence
Noun
This food does not contain any artificial preservatives.
The wood was treated with preservative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 1 July 2024
Plus, since salt is used as a preservative, unsalted butter is typically fresher.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024
Vanessa Caceres, Verywell Health, 23 Sep. 2024
The powder, sodium nitrite, can be used as a food preservative — or as a rocket propellant — according to the National Library of Medicine.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preservative 
Adjective
Limit on poison Sodium nitrite is a preservative used often used in curing meats.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 1 July 2024
Plus, since salt is used as a preservative, unsalted butter is typically fresher.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024
Noun
The tears may have preservatives that irritate your eyes.
—Vanessa Caceres, Verywell Health, 23 Sep. 2024
The powder, sodium nitrite, can be used as a food preservative — or as a rocket propellant — according to the National Library of Medicine.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preservative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preservative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near preservative
Cite this Entry
“Preservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservative. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preservative
1 of 2 adjective
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv 
: having the power of preserving
preservative
2 of 2 noun
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
especially
: a substance added to food to prevent spoiling or discoloring
Medical Definition
preservative
noun
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
a food preservative
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