preservation

noun

pres·er·va·tion | \ ˌpre-zər-ˈvā-shən

Definition of preservation

: 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