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Added 9 October 2026

preservative

/prɪˈzɜːvətɪv/ noun

Latin root: praeservativus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about preservative at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any agent, natural or artificial, that acts to preserve, especially when added to food.
Salt, sugar, and acid all act as preservatives when making pickles.

adjective

Tending to preserve.
The curators took preservative actions to maintain the ancient collection.

Origin

From Old French preservatif, from Medieval Latin praeservativus.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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