preserved; preserving
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
1
: to make preserves
2
: to raise and protect game for purposes of sport
3
: to be able to be preserved (as by canning)
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
Synonyms
Examples of preserve in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
a jar of strawberry preserve
Game preserves allow only carefully controlled hunting and fishing.
The military was once an all-male preserve.
Recent Examples on the Web
Deanna Pai, Vogue, 26 Apr. 2024
They’re crushed, rather than cut, to express and preserve their oils.
—Jaina Grey, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2024
Plus, Butler could lose most or all of his local NIL deals that are dependent on his stature in the community, thanks to his dramatic buzzer-beater in the Final Four last year that put the Aztecs in the national championship game and preserved his immortality.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archaeologist, thinks the cherries were preserved this way so that they could be eaten later.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024
This land, designated by Congress in 2006, protects and preserves the Gullah Geechee’s rich history and culture by allowing areas along the corridor to leverage federal funds for programs and projects and receive technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service.
—Brie Jackson, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
Donate to Bird Charities Birding and conservation groups are working every day to save bird species and preserve more habitat for wildlife.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The 250-year-old seal is very well preserved, officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
And with the increasing threat of climate change, arborists, researchers, conservationists and others say that they must be protected and preserved – even, perhaps, through cloning.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Fancy it up for Valentine's brunch with a swirl of dark chocolate and raspberry preserves in the batter.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2024
To preserve the area's Black history, River Fields, a local organization that protects, preserves, and enhances natural and cultural resources along the Ohio River, stepped in and started a restoration project on the home in the mid-2010s.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 27 Feb. 2024
Consequently, it was intensely logged from the beginning of the 1900s, when Malawi was a British colony known as Nyasaland, straight through to the country’s independence in 1964, despite the Mulanje Mountains being described as a forest preserve as early as 1927.
—Mark Jenkins, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
In Venezuela, roughly 400 firefighters fought a major blaze over the Easter holiday weekend that is threatening the lush Henri Pittier National Park, a beachfront preserve with rare cloud forests, according to the national park service.
—CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
The archaeological preserve is in Coolidge, a city between Phoenix and Tucson.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
Established back in 1933, this storied preserve boasts more than 800 hectares of pristine Lone Star State wilderness, with vast swathes of loblolly pine forest and lengthy hiking trails snaking across the area.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Indigenous Eyes is the exception, as this preserve is situated inside the Puntacana Resort and Club.
—Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
In other words, different types of peptides can offer unique benefits: For instance, some can spur collagen production, while others inhibit enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, thus preserving what your skin already has.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 26 Apr. 2024
They’re crushed, rather than cut, to express and preserve their oils.
—Jaina Grey, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2024
Plus, Butler could lose most or all of his local NIL deals that are dependent on his stature in the community, thanks to his dramatic buzzer-beater in the Final Four last year that put the Aztecs in the national championship game and preserved his immortality.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archaeologist, thinks the cherries were preserved this way so that they could be eaten later.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024
This land, designated by Congress in 2006, protects and preserves the Gullah Geechee’s rich history and culture by allowing areas along the corridor to leverage federal funds for programs and projects and receive technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service.
—Brie Jackson, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
Donate to Bird Charities Birding and conservation groups are working every day to save bird species and preserve more habitat for wildlife.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The 250-year-old seal is very well preserved, officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
And with the increasing threat of climate change, arborists, researchers, conservationists and others say that they must be protected and preserved – even, perhaps, through cloning.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Noun
The county aims to acquire 500 acres of land each year to add to its preserve, Benham said.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Fancy it up for Valentine's brunch with a swirl of dark chocolate and raspberry preserves in the batter.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2024
To preserve the area's Black history, River Fields, a local organization that protects, preserves, and enhances natural and cultural resources along the Ohio River, stepped in and started a restoration project on the home in the mid-2010s.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 27 Feb. 2024
Consequently, it was intensely logged from the beginning of the 1900s, when Malawi was a British colony known as Nyasaland, straight through to the country’s independence in 1964, despite the Mulanje Mountains being described as a forest preserve as early as 1927.
—Mark Jenkins, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
In Venezuela, roughly 400 firefighters fought a major blaze over the Easter holiday weekend that is threatening the lush Henri Pittier National Park, a beachfront preserve with rare cloud forests, according to the national park service.
—CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
The archaeological preserve is in Coolidge, a city between Phoenix and Tucson.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
Established back in 1933, this storied preserve boasts more than 800 hectares of pristine Lone Star State wilderness, with vast swathes of loblolly pine forest and lengthy hiking trails snaking across the area.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Indigenous Eyes is the exception, as this preserve is situated inside the Puntacana Resort and Club.
—Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to preserve
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Cite this Entry
“Preserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preserve. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preserve
1 of 2 verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv 
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep or save from injury, loss, or ruin : protect
preserve the republic
2
: maintain sense 1, continue
preserve silence
3
: to prepare (as vegetables, fruits, or meats) to be kept for future use
preserver
noun
preserve
2 of 2 noun1
: fruit cooked in sugar or made into jams or jellies
strawberry preserves
2
: an area where natural resources (as fish, game, or trees) are protected
Medical Definition
preserve
transitive verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
2
: to keep or save from decomposition
Legal Definition
preserve
transitive verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv
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
U.S. Constitution amend. VIIthe dismissal of a chapter 7 case…reinstates certain transfers voided or preserved in the case—J. H. Williamson
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.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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