: 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
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 27 June 2025
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), made up of members recently hand-selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 5-1 on Thursday to recommend against flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 June 2025
Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 July 2025
There is extensive data from the last quarter century proving that the antiseptic preservative is safe, with no harms identified beyond slight soreness at the injection site, but none of that data was presented during today's meeting.
—ArsTechnica, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservative
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Key Takeaways The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which guides federal vaccine recommendations, voted against recommending flu shots that include the preservative thimerosal.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 27 June 2025
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), made up of members recently hand-selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 5-1 on Thursday to recommend against flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 June 2025
Noun
It has been widely used for decades as a preservative to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in several medicines and vaccines with multiple doses.
—Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 July 2025
There is extensive data from the last quarter century proving that the antiseptic preservative is safe, with no harms identified beyond slight soreness at the injection site, but none of that data was presented during today's meeting.
—ArsTechnica, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservative
Cite this Entry
“Preservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservative. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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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