preserved; preserving
1
: to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction : protect
2
a
: to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
b
: maintain
3
a
: to keep or save from decomposition
b
: to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use
4
: to keep up and reserve for personal or special use
1
: to make preserves
2
: to raise and protect game for purposes of sport
3
: to be able to be preserved (as by canning)
1
: fruit canned or made into jams or jellies or cooked whole or in large pieces in a syrup so as to keep its shape
—often used in plural
2
: an area restricted for the protection and preservation of natural resources (such as animals or plants)
a game preserve for regulated hunting or fishing
nature preserves
3
: something regarded as reserved for certain persons
Synonyms
Examples of preserve in a Sentence
Verb
The fossil was well preserved.
These laws are intended to help preserve our natural resources.
They are fighting to preserve their rights as citizens.
The peaches are preserved in syrup.
Salt can be used to preserve meat.
Noun
a jar of strawberry preserve
Game preserves allow only carefully controlled hunting and fishing.
The military was once an all-male preserve.
Recent Examples on the Web
Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The film industries in Kenya and Nigeria are trying to tackle the discoverability problem, while also trying to build up a future that preserves its past.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2024
Rob Picheta, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
Trump had outsourced much of his campaign’s turnout operation—the traditional preserve of the political parties and the candidates—to Musk’s America PAC.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preserve 
Verb
Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The film industries in Kenya and Nigeria are trying to tackle the discoverability problem, while also trying to build up a future that preserves its past.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
Increasingly, Europe’s centrist figureheads are dropping their once-high-minded rhetoric on irregular migration, reaching instead for positions that were previously the preserve of the continent’s populist rabble-rousers.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
Trump had outsourced much of his campaign’s turnout operation—the traditional preserve of the political parties and the candidates—to Musk’s America PAC.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preserve
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near preserve
Cite this Entry
“Preserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preserve. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preserve
1 of 2 verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv 
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep or save from injury, loss, or ruin : protect
preserve the republic
2
: maintain sense 1, continue
preserve silence
3
: to prepare (as vegetables, fruits, or meats) to be kept for future use
preserver
noun
preserve
2 of 2 noun1
: fruit cooked in sugar or made into jams or jellies
strawberry preserves
2
: an area where natural resources (as fish, game, or trees) are protected
Medical Definition
preserve
transitive verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep alive, intact, or free from decay
2
: to keep or save from decomposition
Legal Definition
preserve
transitive verb
pre·serve
pri-ˈzərv
preserved; preserving
1
: to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction
expenses necessary to preserve the property
2
a
: to keep valid, intact, or in existence (as pending a proceeding)
the right of a trial by jury shall be preserved—U.S. Constitution amend. VII
U.S. Constitution amend. VIIthe dismissal of a chapter 7 case…reinstates certain transfers voided or preserved in the case—J. H. Williamson
J. H. Williamson
b
: to maintain for use or consideration at a later time especially by keeping a record of
deposed the witness to preserve her testimony
a party has the option of preserving the objection raised—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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