preserve meaning

preserve means to keep something in its original condition or to protect it from harm.

preserve :

to keep safe, to protect

verb

▪ We need to preserve the environment.

▪ We need to keep the environment safe.

▪ She preserves old photographs in albums.

▪ She protects old photographs in albums.

paraphrasing

▪ maintain – to keep

▪ protect – to keep safe

▪ save – to keep safe

▪ conserve – to protect and keep safe

preserve

preserve :

food preserved, jam

noun

▪ He likes to eat preserves for breakfast.

▪ He likes to eat jam for breakfast.

▪ She bought some strawberry preserves.

▪ She bought some strawberry jam.

paraphrasing

▪ jam – a type of preserve

▪ marmalade – a type of preserve

▪ chutney – a type of preserve

▪ confiture – a type of preserve

Pronunciation

preserve [prɪˈzɜːv]

The verb has the stress on the second syllable 'serve' and sounds like 'pri-zerv'.

preserve [ˈprɛzərv]

The noun has the stress on the first syllable 'pre' and sounds like 'prez-erv'.

Common phrases and grammar about preserve

preserve - Common meaning

verb
to keep safe, to protect
noun
food preserved, jam

Part of Speech Changes for "preserve"

▪ preservation (noun) – the act of preserving or state of being preserved

▪ preservative (noun) – a substance used to preserve food

▪ preservative (adjective) – something used to preserve

Common Expressions with "preserve"

▪ preserve the environment – to protect the environment

▪ preserve history – keep history as it is

▪ preserve nature – protect natural areas

▪ preserve data – protect data from loss

Important examples of preserve in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC word questions, preserve is often used to mean protect or keep something in original condition.

▪The company must preserve customer data.
▪The company must protect customer data.

Example of a confusing word: persevere (to persist)

▪The company must persevere customer data.
▪The company must persist in handling customer data.
"Preserve" means "to protect" or "maintain" something in its original state, especially in contexts like data protection or environmental conservation. In the sentence "The company must preserve customer data," the use of "preserve" is correct, as it implies maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the data. On the other hand, "persevere" means "to persist" or "continue steadfastly," which does not fit the context of data protection. The sentence "The company must persevere customer data" is grammatically incorrect because "persevere" is an intransitive verb and does not take a direct object like "customer data." Therefore, "preserve" is the appropriate choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

As a verb, preserve requires an object and often relates to protection or maintenance in TOEIC questions.

▪We must preserve the company's reputation.
▪We must protect the company's reputation.

preserve

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

preserve the environment

commonly used in TOEIC Part 7 passages.

▪It's important to preserve the environment.
▪It's important to protect the environment.

preserve in mint condition

to keep something in perfect condition.

▪The collector preserves the coin in mint condition.
▪The collector keeps the coin in perfect condition.

Differences between similar words and preserve

preserve

,

maintain

differences

preserve is used to keep something safe from harm or in original condition, while maintain is to keep something in good condition by regular efforts.

preserve
▪They preserved the old building.
▪They maintained the old building.
maintain
▪They maintained the old building by repairing it regularly.
▪They preserved the old building by protecting it from damage.

preserve

,

conserve

differences

preserve is to keep something safe from harm or in original condition, while conserve is to protect something especially natural resources.

preserve
▪They preserved the forest.
▪They preserved energy by turning off lights.
conserve
▪They conserved energy by turning off lights.
▪They preserved energy by turning off lights.

Words with the same origin as preserve

The origin of preserve

The root of preserve is 'serve'. Words with the same root include serve, service, reserve, and reservation.

Word structure

It has the prefix 'pre' (before) and the root 'serve' (to keep or protect), so preserve means 'to keep before'.

Words with the same origin

The root of preserve is serve. Words with the same root include serve, service, reserve, and reservation.

Please select an image in the quiz

Quiz

question

Your score is

Previous post and next post

renowned

renowned

45
▪renowned for
▪renowned artist
adjective ┃
Views 3
renowned

renowned

45
famous, well-known
▪renowned for – famous for something
▪renowned artist – famous artist
adjective ┃
Views 3
preserve

preserve

46
▪preserve the environment
▪preserve history
current
post
verb ┃
noun ┃
Views 6
preserve

preserve

46
to keep safe, to protect
▪preserve the environment – to protect the environment
▪preserve history – keep history as it is
verb ┃
noun ┃
Views 6
simply

simply

47
▪simply put
▪simply explained
adverb ┃
Views 7
simply

simply

47
in an easy way, without difficulty
▪simply put – in easy words
▪simply explained – explained in an easy way
adverb ┃
Views 7
presence

presence

48
▪in someone's presence
▪make your presence known
noun ┃
Views 9
presence

presence

48
attendance, existence
▪in someone's presence – when someone is there
▪make your presence known – to show you are there
noun ┃
Views 9
laboratory

laboratory

49
▪laboratory equipment
▪laboratory experiments
noun ┃
Views 8
laboratory

laboratory

49
research place, science lab
▪laboratory equipment – tools used in the lab
▪laboratory experiments – scientific tests done in the lab
noun ┃
Views 8
Same category words
environment, sustainability

preserve

to keep safe, to protect
current post
46

emerge

1998

waste

499

preserve

46

environment

189
TOEIC_Vocabulary_List_PDF_PC
TOEIC_Vocabulary_List_PDF_Mobile

View All TOEIC PDFs

Visitors & Members
6+
HanVoca