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
Library and Book Trade AlmanacThese and so many lesser red flags seem finally to be shifting public interest toward the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats.—E. Annie Proulx
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
Tibbett L. SpeerExamples 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
Montgomery County Maryland has a Pay In Lieu of Taxes or PILOT program to facilitate the creation and preservation of housing with lower rents.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Mom’s corpse is then put in a salted plastic barrel for preservation’s sake, and loaded onto a cart the daughter is prepared to pull all the way to the distant sea.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Aug. 2025
Two dozen other historic landmarks of Black America, including theaters, museums and cemeteries, will also receive $50,000 to $150,000 each for preservation and restoration projects.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Instead, as Rome burns, a team of three young guys in its Austin headquarters, with backgrounds in film school, film preservation, video stores and film festivals, pump out five to 10 30-minute preshows a week.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
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Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Mom’s corpse is then put in a salted plastic barrel for preservation’s sake, and loaded onto a cart the daughter is prepared to pull all the way to the distant sea.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Aug. 2025
Two dozen other historic landmarks of Black America, including theaters, museums and cemeteries, will also receive $50,000 to $150,000 each for preservation and restoration projects.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Instead, as Rome burns, a team of three young guys in its Austin headquarters, with backgrounds in film school, film preservation, video stores and film festivals, pump out five to 10 30-minute preshows a week.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservation
Cite this Entry
“Preservation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservation. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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