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
About Historic West End Partners’ plans Historic West End Partners was founded in 2010 to advocate for cultural preservation and economic development in the Historic West End.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2025
In the process of making the project a preservation initiative by digitizing archival tapes, organizers of the retrospective discovered just how full an evening at EZTV could be, with performances, poetry, shorts, an in-house soap opera and two or more feature-length videos.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
In the early 1990s, as tech revolutionaries were building the foundations of our present digital world, my grandparents decided to put their 300-acre farm in Carroll County into an agricultural preservation trust.
—Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The solutions to forest preservation is based on the strategic intersection of conservation and agricultural productivity.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preservation
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Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2025
In the process of making the project a preservation initiative by digitizing archival tapes, organizers of the retrospective discovered just how full an evening at EZTV could be, with performances, poetry, shorts, an in-house soap opera and two or more feature-length videos.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
In the early 1990s, as tech revolutionaries were building the foundations of our present digital world, my grandparents decided to put their 300-acre farm in Carroll County into an agricultural preservation trust.
—Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The solutions to forest preservation is based on the strategic intersection of conservation and agricultural productivity.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 21 Mar. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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