preservative

American  

[pri-zur-vuh-tiv] / prɪˈzɜr və tɪv /

noun

1. something that preserves or tends to preserve.

2. a chemical substance used to preserve foods or other organic materials from decomposition or fermentation.

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adjective

1. tending to preserve.

preservative British  

/ prɪˈzɜːvətɪv /

noun

1. something that preserves or tends to preserve, esp a chemical added to foods to inhibit decomposition

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adjective

1. tending or intended to preserve

Other Word Forms

• nonpreservative adjective

Etymology

Origin of preservative

1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and noun) < Middle French preservatif (adj.) < Medieval Latin praeservātīvus. See preserve, -ative

Example Sentences

Each of these samples was split into two, with boric acid added to one set to test whether the preservative would affect results.

From Science Daily

Also for benzoic acid—used as a food preservative—, Lanxess is the only producer in the U.S. and a key producer in Europe, JPM says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Makeup can also contain synthetic preservatives that are also based on petroleum.

From The Wall Street Journal

They also caution people to limit foods and drinks with additives including artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes and artificial preservatives.

From The Wall Street Journal

Walmart said last fall it would remove synthetic dyes from its store-brand foods and phase out roughly 30 other ingredients, including certain artificial sweeteners and preservatives.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• vinegar