Preservation

ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən

nounmedium📊CommonAction
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

The act of keeping something in its original or existing state; the act of preventing something from being damaged, destroyed, or lost.

ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən

nounpositivemedium
Action

The action of protecting something from damage or decay.

The museum focused on the preservation of historical documents.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to keep your favorite toy in perfect condition, or maybe you're helping protect nature. Preservation is all about keeping things safe and sound so they don't get ruined or disappear!

👶 For kids: Keeping something safe so it doesn't get ruined or disappear.

More Examples

2

Environmental groups are working on the preservation of rainforests.

3

The government implemented strict measures for the preservation of national parks.

How It's Used

Environmental Science

"The preservation of endangered species is a critical goal of conservation efforts."

History

"The preservation of ancient artifacts is essential for understanding past civilizations."

Culinary

"Food preservation techniques include canning, freezing, and drying."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Preservation of life

The act of protecting and sustaining human life.

"The primary goal of medical professionals is the preservation of life."

Historical Preservation

The process of protecting and maintaining historical sites and artifacts.

"The city is committed to historical preservation, maintaining its old buildings."

From Middle French preservation, from Latin praeservatio ('a keeping safe, guarding'), from praeservare ('to keep safe, guard'), from prae ('before') + servare ('to save, keep').

The word 'preservation' has been used since the 14th century and was originally associated with the act of keeping something safe or protecting it from harm.

Memory tip

Think of 'pre-' as 'before' and 'serve' as 'save'. Preservation is saving something before it's gone.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to keep safe, guard"

environmental preservationhistorical preservationspecies preservationartifact preservationheritage preservation

Common misspellings

preservationpreservasionpreservasion

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written