: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
Examples of preservative in a Sentence
Noun
This food does not contain any artificial preservatives.
The wood was treated with preservative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Feb. 2026
Over half were additives typically added to ultraprocessed foods; the rest were more natural options, such as the use of lemon juice as a preservative or beet juice for color.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Mar. 2026
Owner Rajbir Randhawa touted that Farm Plates’ chicken has no antibiotics, no additives and no preservatives.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preservative
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Adjective
As at Bar Part Time, which Dolezal owns with Jeremy Castillo and Dan Small, the wine selection will be zero-zero — the most stringent category of natural wine, in which nothing (not even the preservative sulfur dioxide) is added or removed during the winemaking process.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Feb. 2026
Over half were additives typically added to ultraprocessed foods; the rest were more natural options, such as the use of lemon juice as a preservative or beet juice for color.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
The United States has generally had a more forgiving set of regulations governing the use of additives, preservatives and other chemicals in food and drinks than the European Union (EU).
—David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Mar. 2026
Owner Rajbir Randhawa touted that Farm Plates’ chicken has no antibiotics, no additives and no preservatives.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preservative
Cite this Entry
“Preservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservative. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preservative
1 of 2 adjective
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv 
: having the power of preserving
preservative
2 of 2 noun
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
especially
: a substance added to food to prevent spoiling or discoloring
Medical Definition
preservative
noun
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
a food preservative
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