preserve

1 of 2

verb

pre·​serve pri-ˈzərv How to pronounce preserve (audio)
preserved; preserving

transitive verb

1
: to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction : protect
2
a
: to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
b
3
a
: to keep or save from decomposition
b
: to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use
4
: to keep up and reserve for personal or special use

intransitive verb

1
: to make preserves
2
: to raise and protect game for purposes of sport
3
: to be able to be preserved (as by canning)
preservability noun
preservable adjective
preserver noun

preserve

2 of 2

noun

1
: fruit canned or made into jams or jellies or cooked whole or in large pieces in a syrup so as to keep its shape
often used in plural
2
: an area restricted for the protection and preservation of natural resources (such as animals or plants)
a game preserve for regulated hunting or fishing
nature preserves
3
: something regarded as reserved for certain persons

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

Verb The fossil was well preserved. These laws are intended to help preserve our natural resources. They are fighting to preserve their rights as citizens. The peaches are preserved in syrup. Salt can be used to preserve meat. Noun a jar of strawberry preserve Game preserves allow only carefully controlled hunting and fishing. The military was once an all-male preserve.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Bailey did a good job as a holder for kicker Jason Sanders, and preserving that continuity is viewed by coaches as helpful. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The Instituto Campana, which the brothers founded to preserve their archives and legacy, is also located in Brotas. Pilar Viladas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Offering free legal services can prevent children in kinship families from entering foster care by securing their legal status within families and preserving cultural/community connections. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 To preserve your privacy, Apple does not collect your device’s location. Emma Roth, The Verge, 7 Mar. 2024 The Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider Thursday choosing among several areas off Monterey Bay to protect in order to restore and preserve deep-sea corals that create habitat for sea creatures. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 For Iranian women and documentarians like Sharifi, the relationship between forgetting and remembering is a lifeline to be preserved. Savina Petkova, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Firefighters extinguished the flames and preserved the evidence from the scene so the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board could investigate the crash. Landon Mion, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 In a city renowned for its nightly light spectacle over Victoria Harbour and a legacy of neon signage—now nostalgically preserved within M+—this museum adds a new chapter to Hong Kong's luminous narrative. Kissa Castañeda, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
In other words: the genocidal mind is not the preserve of cartoon monsters safely tucked away in history books. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 On a recent day, cars lined the preserve’s roads and overflowed a parking lot near the lake’s entrance. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Additionally, the center plans to collaborate with the Ho-Chunk Nation to increase land care practices that take into consideration the burial mounds within the preserve. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Set inland, her (mostly contiguous) property extends over green hills into a forest preserve on the slopes of the Haleakala volcano. Phoebe Liu, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 The preserve is located within the Santa Maria Valley and covers about 3,500 acres, including sections of the Santa Maria Creek. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Feb. 2024 Going on a horseback safari in the Borana Conservancy, a 32,000-acre preserve in northern Kenya, is the top thing to do this year, says the publication. USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Located on the edge of the Bass River, this idyllic preserve is renowned for its lush landscapes, while its thick stretches of forest harbor a wealth of fascinating avifauna. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 French Leave Resort At French Leave Resort, 20 villas situated on a 270-acre preserve provide splendid views of crystalline waters from a prime hillside location in Governor’s Harbour. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin praeservare, from Late Latin, to observe beforehand, from Latin prae- + servare to keep, guard, observe — more at conserve

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preserve was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near preserve

Cite this Entry

“Preserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preserve. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

preserve

1 of 2 verb
pre·​serve pri-ˈzərv How to pronounce preserve (audio)
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep or save from injury, loss, or ruin : protect
preserve the republic
2
: maintain sense 1, continue
preserve silence
3
: to prepare (as vegetables, fruits, or meats) to be kept for future use
preserver noun

preserve

2 of 2 noun
1
: fruit cooked in sugar or made into jams or jellies
strawberry preserves
2
: an area where natural resources (as fish, game, or trees) are protected

Medical Definition

preserve

transitive verb
pre·​serve pri-ˈzərv How to pronounce preserve (audio)
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
2
: to keep or save from decomposition

Legal Definition

preserve

transitive verb
pre·​serve pri-ˈzərv How to pronounce preserve (audio)
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction
expenses necessary to preserve the property
2
a
: to keep valid, intact, or in existence (as pending a proceeding)
the right of a trial by jury shall be preservedU.S. Constitution amend. VII
the dismissal of a chapter 7 case…reinstates certain transfers voided or preserved in the caseJ. H. Williamson
b
: to maintain for use or consideration at a later time especially by keeping a record of
deposed the witness to preserve her testimony
a party has the option of preserving the objection raisedJ. H. Friedenthal et al.
preservation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on preserve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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