reserve

1 of 2

verb

re·​serve ri-ˈzərv How to pronounce reserve (audio)
reserved; reserving

transitive verb

1
a
: to hold in reserve : keep back
reserve grain for seed
b
: to set aside (part of the consecrated elements) at the Eucharist for future use
c
: to retain or hold over to a future time or place : defer
reserve one's judgment on a plan
d
: to make legal reservation of
2
: to set or have set aside or apart
reserve a hotel room
reservable adjective

reserve

2 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
: something reserved or set aside for a particular purpose, use, or reason: such as
a(1)
: a military force withheld from action for later decisive use
usually used in plural
(2)
: forces not in the field but available
(3)
: the military forces of a country not part of the regular services
also : reservist
b
: a tract (as of public land) set apart : reservation
2
: something stored or kept available for future use or need : stock
3
: an act of reserving : qualification
4
a
: restraint, closeness, or caution in one's words and actions
b
: forbearance from making a full explanation, complete disclosure, or free expression of one's mind
5
archaic : secret
6
a
: money or its equivalent kept in hand or set apart usually to meet liabilities
b
: the liquid resources of a nation for meeting international payments
7
8
9
: a wine made from select grapes, bottled on the maker's premises, and aged differently from the maker's other wines of the same vintage
Phrases
in reserve
: held back for future or special use
Choose the Right Synonym for reserve

keep, retain, detain, withhold, reserve mean to hold in one's possession or under one's control.

keep may suggest a holding securely in one's possession, custody, or control.

keep this while I'm gone

retain implies continued keeping, especially against threatened seizure or forced loss.

managed to retain their dignity even in poverty

detain suggests a delay in letting go.

detained them for questioning

withhold implies restraint in letting go or a refusal to let go.

withheld information from the authorities

reserve suggests a keeping in store for future use.

reserve some of your energy for the last mile

Examples of reserve in a Sentence

Verb We reserved a hotel room. This table is reserved for someone else. The seats are reserved under my name. We will reserve this wine for a special occasion. She usually reserved her best dishes for very important dinners. Noun He had to call upon his inner reserves of strength to keep going. the salesclerk showed great reserve in dealing with the unreasonable demands of the angry customer
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Copyright © 2024, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Cynthia Howell, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2024 Wise Owl Portable Hammock, $28 (originally $32) Best Travel Clothing and Shoe Deals for Prime Members Amazon reserved its best spring clothing and footwear deals for Prime members, who are privy to discounts on everything from Crocs Classic Clogs to lightweight cardigans. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2024 Footprint Center reserves the right to amend the above list without notice. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 As a boy growing up with hemophilia A, Noah Frederick reserved the end of his annual checkups to talk about new technologies. Jason Mast, STAT, 13 Mar. 2024 Silicone Mostly reserved for novelty items, silicone baking pans are not ideal for conducting heat. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024 Boeing had already reserved the bulk of the money for compensation to airlines, lessors and others affected by a worldwide ban on the model. Danny Lee, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Stuart Heritage reports from up in the gods—the mezzanine high above the more famous audience, reserved for journalists, film crews, and the family of nominees. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 11 Mar. 2024 Hearing puppet Tyrion and Ned Stark quip about the coming of winter and rolling heads is a delight reserved for caregivers in the audience, Graham said. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
For much of California’s history, fossil fuel companies have profited handsomely from drilling wells and tapping the state’s deep oil and gas reserves. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The core of this expensive and esoteric dogfight comes down to this: should some banks have to keep more cash reserves to ward off insolvency? Philip Elliott, TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 When the hot, dry summer beats down on the landscape, saguaros pull from their water reserve to keep themselves alive and healthy. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 The county is again dipping into its reserves to help make ends meet, but the request is less this year, at nearly $33 million, which Alsobrooks said is designed to protect the county’s Triple-A bond rating. Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 His move to La Liga was supposed to be the first step in his journey to greatness, with the then 16-year-old moving to the Spanish capital to learn from the best, namely former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane who was the coach of Madrid’s reserve team at the time. Ben Church, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Take Russia’s vast reserves of armor: since 2022, its forces have lost at least 14,000 pieces of equipment. Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 Given the size of the city’s budget, two months of reserves offers flexibility for the city to respond to unplanned events and continue government operations without interruption, Lee’s office notes. Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Today, the Florida legislature requires all condominiums to be inspected, up to code as well as maintain a minimum amount of reserves in case repairs are needed. Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reserve.' 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 Anglo-French reserver, from Latin reservare, literally, to keep back, from re- + servare to keep — more at conserve

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near reserve

Cite this Entry

“Reserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reserve. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reserve

1 of 2 verb
re·​serve ri-ˈzərv How to pronounce reserve (audio)
reserved; reserving
1
: to keep in store for future or special use
reserve that shirt for special occasions
2
: to hold over to a future time or place : defer
reserve judgment on that matter
3
: to arrange to have set aside and held for one's use
reserve a hotel room

reserve

2 of 2 noun
1
: something stored or available for future use : stock
oil reserves
2
a
: military forces held back or available for later use
usually used in plural
b
: the military forces of a country not part of the regular services
3
: an area of land set apart
a wild game reserve
4
: restraint, closeness, or caution in one's words and behavior
5
: substitute entry 1
the reserves of the football team

Medical Definition

reserve

1 of 2 noun
re·​serve ri-ˈzərv How to pronounce reserve (audio)
1
: something stored or kept available for future use or need
oxygen reserve
see cardiac reserve
2
: the capacity of a solution to neutralize alkali or acid when its reaction is shifted from one hydrogen-ion concentration to another
especially : the capacity of blood or bacteriological media to react with acid or alkali within predetermined and usually physiological limits of hydrogen-ion concentration compare buffer, buffer solution

reserve

2 of 2 adjective
: constituting or having the form or function of a reserve
a reserve supply
reserve strength

Legal Definition

reserve

1 of 2 transitive verb
re·​serve
reserved; reserving
: to keep back or set apart: as
a
: to keep (a right, power, or interest) especially by express declaration
all rights reserved
compare waive
b
: to defer a determination of (a question of law)
the justices reserved the question because it was not an issue in the case

reserve

2 of 2 noun
1
: something stored or kept available for future use
an energy company with various unproven oil reserves
2
: an act of reserving
3
: money kept in a separate account to meet future liabilities
legal reserve
: the minimum amount as determined by government standards of the deposits held by a bank or of the assets of a life insurance company required by law to be kept as reserves
loss reserve
: a reserve allocated by a bank for the purpose of absorbing losses a loan loss reserve
: an insurance company's reserve representing the discounted value of future payments to be made on losses which may have already occurred
policy reserve
: an insurance company's reserve representing the difference in value between the net premiums and assumed claims for a given year in life insurance
unearned premium reserve
: a reserve of funds which represents premiums paid to an insurance company but not yet applied to policy coverage and from which a policyholder is paid a refund in the event of cancellation prior to the period for which premiums have been paid
4

More from Merriam-Webster on reserve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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