GamesDaily CrosswordWord PuzzleWord FinderAll gamesFeaturedWord of the DayWord of the YearNew wordsLanguage storiesAll featuredCultureSlangEmojiMemesAcronymsGender and sexualityAll cultureWriting tipsWriting hubGrammar essentialsCommonly confusedAll writing tipsGamesFeaturedCultureWriting tipsAdvertisementSkip toSkip topreserveverb (used with object) (7)verb (used without object) (2)noun (4)AdvertisementView synonyms for AmericanBritishpreserve[pri-zurv]Phonetic (Standard)IPAverb (used with object)preserved, preserving to keep alive or in existence; make lasting.to preserve our liberties as free citizens.Synonyms: Antonyms: to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare.Synonyms: , , to keep up; .to preserve historical monuments.Synonyms: , , to keep possession of; .to preserve one's composure.to prepare (food or any perishable substance) so as to resist decomposition or fermentation.to prepare (fruit, vegetables, etc.) by cooking with sugar, pickling, canning, or the like.to maintain and reserve (game, fish, etc.) for continued survival or for private use, as in hunting or fishing.verb (used without object)preserved, preserving to preserve fruit, vegetables, etc.; make preserves.to maintain a preserve for game or fish, especially for sport.nounsomething that preserves.that which is preserved.Usually preserves. fruit, vegetables, etc., prepared by cooking with sugar.a place set apart for protection and propagation of game or fish, especially for sport.preserve/ ˌprɛzəˈveɪʃən, prɪˈzɜːv /verbto keep safe from danger or harm; protectto protect from decay or dissolution; maintainto preserve old buildingsto maintain possession of; keep upto preserve a façade of indifferenceto prevent from decomposition or chemical changeto prepare (food), as by freezing, drying, or salting, so that it will resist decompositionto make preserves of (fruit, etc)to rear and protect (game) in restricted places for hunting or fishing(intr) to maintain protection and favourable conditions for game in preserves“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012nounsomething that preserves or is preserveda special area or domainarchaeology is the preserve of specialists(usually plural) fruit, etc, prepared by cooking with sugarareas where game is reared for private hunting or fishing“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Discover MoreOther Word Formspreservable adjectivepreservability nounpreservation nounpreserver nounnonpreservable adjectiveunpreservable adjectivepreˈserver nounpreˈservably adverbpreˌservaˈbility nounpreˈservable adjectiveDiscover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of preserve1First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English preserven, from Medieval Latin praeservāre “to guard” ( Late Latin: “to observe”), equivalent to Latin prae- prefix meaning “before, prior to, in advance” ( ) + servāre “to watch over, keep, preserve, observe”Discover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of preserve1C14: via Old French, from Late Latin praeservāre literally: to keep safe in advance, from Latin prae- before + servāre to keep safeDiscover MoreSynonym StudySee .Discover MoreExample SentencesExamples have not been reviewed.It must preserve memory as a living force, capable of shaping civic courage and alerting us to the dangers of silence, complicity and ideological manipulation.From We didn’t collect these stories just to preserve them.From Last week, its chief had written to the brand, saying the design was commercialised without crediting the artisans who have preserved its heritage for generations.From At his Pacific Palisades ranch, Will Rogers’ fans tried to preserve his legacy.From While the GHF was ostensibly created to provide lifesaving relief and help preserve international legitimacy for Israel’s military operation, the aid sites have become deadly flashpoints.From AdvertisementDiscover MoreRelated Words AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrowse#aabbccddeeffgghhiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzzContact usDo not sell my infoFollow usGet the Word of the Day every day!Sign upBy clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com © 2025 Dictionary.com, LLC, The meaning of PRESERVE is to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction : protect. How to use preserve in a sentence., PRESERVE definition: 1. to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or…. Learn more..