preserve

play

verb pre·serve \ pri-ˈzərv \

Definition of preserve

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 :maintain

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)

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preservability

play \-ˌzər-və-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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preservable

play \-ˈzər-və-bəl\ adjective

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preservation

play \ˌpre-zər-ˈvā-shən\ noun

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preserver

play \pri-ˈzər-vər\ noun

See preserve defined for English-language learners

See preserve defined for kids

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of preserve from the Web

The Department of Health and Human Services preserves spending levels for most preparedness and response programs, including its hundreds of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals who are now deployed to Texas.

— lisa rein, chicagotribune.com, "As agencies respond to storm, some face cuts under Trump budget proposal," 29 Aug. 2017
This, too, is an ancient Japanese tradition, dating back to one of its emperors, a way of preserving the past, acknowledging its fractures and cracks.

— zan romanoff, Bon Appetit, "We Go to This Restaurant Just to Stare at the Ceramics," 29 Aug. 2017
Happily, much that was irreplaceably characteristic of the old Ritz Paris is preserved.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Ritz Paris," 25 Aug. 2017
Those cores are kept at super-cold temperatures and in special containers to keep them well-preserved.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "A Chilly Look at America's Frozen Ice Laboratory," 24 Aug. 2017
Kill someone, extract their face, and preserve it to its pre-death condition?

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "Who Was in Arya’s Bag of Faces and What Her Dagger Scene With Sansa Could Mean," 21 Aug. 2017
Trump, who has recently made a point of the importance of preserving Confederate monuments, didn't seem to care about what happened to the pieces.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "The Historic Building Donald Trump Demolished to Build Trump Tower," 18 Aug. 2017
Now, after the developer has invested a lot of money into this project, there is an uproar to preserve the building.

— Naperville Sun, "Letters to the editor: Many views of old Nichols Library," 18 Aug. 2017
There are no preservatives and no chemicals in this wine–many of these makers use only natural sulfur and copper to preserve the grapes.

— athena calderone, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Untapped Wine Region Athena Calderone Thinks You Need To Visit," 3 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'preserve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of preserve

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

preserve Synonyms

Synonyms

conserve, keep up, maintain, save

Related Words

service; support, sustain; care (for), husband, manage; defend, guard, protect, safeguard, screen, shield; cure, fix, heal, remedy; mend, patch, rebuild, reconstruct, rehabilitate, rejuvenate, restore

Near Antonyms

disregard, ignore, neglect; break, damage, destroy, harm, hurt, impair, injure, ruin, wreck

preserve

noun

Definition of preserve

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

See preserve defined for English-language learners

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

a jar of strawberry preserve
Game preserves allow only carefully controlled hunting and fishing.
The military was once an all-male preserve.

Recent Examples of preserve from the Web

Aside from development, the Creek District Specific Plan calls for a large habitat preserve on the creek's floodplain.

— teri figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Marcos rethinking downtown development plan," 29 Aug. 2017
Brian Simpson, 55, of Fairbanks, also is charged with guiding on a national preserve without a permit.

— dan joling, The Seattle Times, "Alaska hunting guide charged with herding grizzly bears to clients," 26 Aug. 2017
Kough suspects the young conchs from the preserve are winding up in unprotected areas hammered by harvesting.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "The conch is mostly gone from Florida. Can the Bahamas save the Queen?," 6 Aug. 2017
The area is totally secluded and surrounded by government and state preserves.

— james tarmy, Bloomberg.com, "This $6 Million Compound in Colorado Is a Fly Fisher’s Paradise," 1 Aug. 2017
Indian curriculums are far too ambitious, artefacts of an era when schools were the preserve of the elite, and at any given time a quarter of the teachers will be absent.

— The Economist, "EdtechTechnology is transforming what happens when a child goes to school," 22 July 2017
The acquisition increases the total amount of protected land in the preserve to just more than 224 acres.

— Post-Tribune, "Marram Health Center welcomes physician," 13 July 2017
Place a cast-iron pan over indirect flame and whisk in pineapple preserves, pepper jelly, honey and optional rice wine vinegar.

— mary g. pepitone, kansascity, "Teen winner of Food Network show shares sweet & spicy grilled shrimp recipe," 27 June 2017
In rare instances, food poisoning can be fatal, as with botulism from improperly prepared at-home preserves.

— consumer reports, Washington Post, "He had fever, night sweats, joint pain: Food poisoning’s other symptoms," 26 June 2017

First Known Use of preserve

1698

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

PRESERVE Defined for English Language Learners

preserve

play

verb

Definition of preserve for English Language Learners

: to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition
: to keep (something) safe from harm or loss
: to prevent (food) from decaying

preserve

noun

Definition of preserve for English Language Learners

: a sweet food made of fruit cooked in sugar
: an area where plants, animals, minerals, etc., are protected
: an activity, job, interest, etc., that is available to or considered suitable for only a particular group of people

PRESERVE Defined for Kids

preserve

play

verb pre·serve \ pri-ˈzərv \

Definition of preserve for Students

preserved; preserving

1 :to keep or save from injury, loss, or ruin :protect

The laws will help preserve rain forests.

2 :to prepare (as by canning or pickling) fruits or vegetables to be kept for future use

3 :maintain 2, continue

preserve silence

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preserver

noun

preserve

noun

Definition of preserve for Students

1 :a sweet food made of fruit cooked in sugar —often used in pl.

strawberry preserves

2 :an area where land and animals are protected

Medical Dictionary

preserve

play

transitive verb pre·serve \ pri-ˈzərv \

medical Definition of preserve

preserved; preserving

1 :to keep alive, intact, or free from decay

2 :to keep or save from decomposition

Law Dictionary

preserve

play

transitive verb pre·serve \ pri-ˈzərv \

legal Definition of preserve

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 preserved
—U.S. Constitution amend. VII

the dismissal of a chapter 7 case…reinstates certain transfers voided or preserved in the case
—J. 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 raised
—J. H. Friedenthal et al.

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preservation

play \ˌpre-zər-ˈvā-shən\ noun

Learn More about preserve

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for preserve Spanish Central: Translation of preserve Nglish: Translation of preserve for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of preserve for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about preserve

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Definition of preserve

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preservable

preservation

preserver

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Origin and Etymology of preserve

preserve Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

preserve

Definition of preserve

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

Recent Examples of preserve from the Web

First Known Use of preserve

Other Ecology Terms

Phrases Related to PRESERVE

Related Phrases

PRESERVE Defined for English Language Learners

preserve

Definition of preserve for English Language Learners

preserve

Definition of preserve for English Language Learners

PRESERVE Defined for Kids

preserve

Definition of preserve for Students

preserver

preserve

Definition of preserve for Students

Medical Dictionary

preserve

medical Definition of preserve

Law Dictionary

preserve

legal Definition of preserve

preservation

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