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 restoration philosophy that followed from all of this was one of preservation rather than correction.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 May 2026
The news comes amid the growing game preservation movement.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 16 May 2026
House and Senate budget negotiators managing environmental and agricultural issues approached the special session’s first deadline with funding gaps still outstanding in areas involving citrus research, land preservation and Everglades restoration.
—Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
And like the countess had mentioned earlier, sometimes the past was not the best about preservation techniques.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preservation
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 May 2026
The news comes amid the growing game preservation movement.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 16 May 2026
House and Senate budget negotiators managing environmental and agricultural issues approached the special session’s first deadline with funding gaps still outstanding in areas involving citrus research, land preservation and Everglades restoration.
—Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
And like the countess had mentioned earlier, sometimes the past was not the best about preservation techniques.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preservation
Cite this Entry
“Preservation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservation. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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