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
Library and Book Trade AlmanacThese and so many lesser red flags seem finally to be shifting public interest toward the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats.—E. Annie Proulx
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
Tibbett L. SpeerExamples 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
The budget does include $500,000 for affordable housing preservation.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
That metadata then flows into a robust toolset for organizing, managing, and preparing collections for either long-term preservation through Portico or for broader access via the JSTOR platform.
—Sara Ivry, JSTOR Daily, 4 June 2025
That was one of the assets that Lilly acquired as part of its acquisition spree in 2023 , and muscle mass preservation is one of its distinguishing features.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 June 2025
The $105 million will be divided across three major areas: $21 million for scholarships, small business grants and land development; $24 million for housing assistance and homeownership; and $60 million for cultural preservation and revitalizing the north side, where Greenwood is located.
—Kizzy Cox, Essence, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservation
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David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
That metadata then flows into a robust toolset for organizing, managing, and preparing collections for either long-term preservation through Portico or for broader access via the JSTOR platform.
—Sara Ivry, JSTOR Daily, 4 June 2025
That was one of the assets that Lilly acquired as part of its acquisition spree in 2023 , and muscle mass preservation is one of its distinguishing features.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 June 2025
The $105 million will be divided across three major areas: $21 million for scholarships, small business grants and land development; $24 million for housing assistance and homeownership; and $60 million for cultural preservation and revitalizing the north side, where Greenwood is located.
—Kizzy Cox, Essence, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservation
Cite this Entry
“Preservation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservation. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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