Meaning & use
preservatives
Last updated
“preservatives” is a form of “preservative”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Substances added to food, drink or other products to stop them from going bad.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a preservative' or 'many preservatives'; the plural is the usual form in food contexts.
Patterns
- contain preservatives
- be free from preservatives
- add preservatives to something
This juice contains no artificial preservatives.
Many dried fruits are treated with preservatives to keep their color.
Some people buy bread without preservatives because they prefer it fresh.
nouncountabletechnical
Chemical substances added to wood, paint or other materials to protect them from decay or damage.
Grammar: Also countable; often used with 'wood' or 'timber' before it.
Patterns
- wood preservatives
- apply preservatives to something
Workers brushed chemical preservatives onto the fence posts.
The company makes wood preservatives for outdoor furniture.
Word forms
| singular | preservative |
|---|
Common combinations
- artificial preservatives
- The label says the snack has no artificial preservatives.
- food preservatives
- Regulators test food preservatives before they reach the shelves.
- free from preservatives
- These sausages are free from preservatives.
- contain preservatives
- Most bottled sauces contain preservatives.
- a common preservative
- Salt is a common preservative in traditional cooking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- additives
- A wider word for anything added to food, including colors and flavors, not only things that prevent spoiling.
- stabilizers
- Substances that keep a product's texture or mixture steady; they may preserve quality but are not the same job as preservatives.
- antioxidants
- A specific kind of preservative that stops fats from reacting with oxygen, so it is narrower than 'preservatives'.
Word family
- preserve verb
- to keep something in good condition or stop it from decaying.
- preservation noun
- the act of keeping something safe or in its original state.
- preservative noun
- one such substance, used in the singular.
Commonly confused: preservatives or conservatives? preservatives or preserved?
preservatives vs conservatives
Sounds close, but it refers to people with traditional political views, not to substances in food.
preservatives vs preserved
This is the verb or adjective form ('preserved fruit'), while 'preservatives' names the substances themselves.
Practice
The label on the jar says the jam is made without ______.
Choose one answer.
'Without preservatives' means no substances were added to stop spoiling, and the plural noun fits after 'without'. 'Preservation' is the abstract process, and 'preserved' is a verb form, so neither fits here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “preservatives”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.