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

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

Synonyms

• care and feeding
• conservation
• conserving
• keep
• maintenance
• preserving
• sustentation
• upkeep

Examples 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

Referring to the city’s 2017 rezoning, Kolb said city officials had pledged to protect the Garment District with dedicated funding, the preservation of manufacturing spaces and targeted tax relief, but many of those commitments remain unmet. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 June 2025

Bungalow courts form a wonderful part of what the historic preservation community calls naturally occurring affordable housing. —Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025

While Rogers says local environmental and industrial struggles were a factor, historic preservation sources close to the project say the changing political landscape at a federal level paved the way for the project to lose steam for the foreseeable future. —Elliott Ramos, CBS News, 11 June 2025

This tension between development and tree preservation is at a tipping point in Seattle, where a new state law is requiring more housing density but not more trees. —Bellamy Pailthorp, NPR, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing preservation

• preservation order
• self-preservation
• state of preservation

Rhymes for preservation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

preservation

noun

pres·​er·​va·​tion

ˌprez-ər-ˈvā-shən

: a keeping from injury, loss, or decay