: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
Examples of preservative in a Sentence
Noun
This food does not contain any artificial preservatives.
The wood was treated with preservative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Deanna Pai, Allure, 18 Oct. 2024
Limit on poison Sodium nitrite is a preservative used often used in curing meats.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 1 July 2024
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2024
Minimal Processing Processing can include putting additives and preservatives into foods, and processing can strip them of some nutrients.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preservative 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Adjective
Chemists and beauty consumers alike started wondering if the recalls were indicative of something bigger—revealing the weakness of preservative systems found in some beauty products today.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 18 Oct. 2024
Limit on poison Sodium nitrite is a preservative used often used in curing meats.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 1 July 2024
Noun
While big nut butter brands contain preservatives that keep their products shelf stable, the oils in natural nut butters will separate.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2024
Minimal Processing Processing can include putting additives and preservatives into foods, and processing can strip them of some nutrients.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preservative
Dictionary Entries Near preservative
Cite this Entry
“Preservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preservative. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preservative
1 of 2 adjective
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv 
: having the power of preserving
preservative
2 of 2 noun
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
especially
: a substance added to food to prevent spoiling or discoloring
Medical Definition
preservative
noun
pre·ser·va·tive
pri-ˈzər-vət-iv
: something that preserves or has the power of preserving
specifically
: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration, or spoilage
a food preservative
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share