self-preserving

adjective

self-pre·​serv·​ing ˌself-pri-ˈzər-viŋ How to pronounce self-preserving (audio)
: acting or tending to preserve oneself or itself
self-preserving instincts/behavior
It's a novel about whether, amid the absurd twists and cruelties of life, you end up being a self-preserving observer of the fray, a committed fighter against overwhelming odds, or something uncomfortably in between.Kenneth Kid

Examples of self-preserving in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Crack Cloud – Red Mile Jagjaguwar Crack Cloud began in 2015 as a self-preserving creative outlet. Margaret Farrell, SPIN, 26 July 2024 That shift may also reflect a self-preserving political recalibration after redistricting made her once-competitive seat redder ahead of the 2022 election. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 9 June 2024 Doubling down on fruitpologies strikes me as self-preserving more than anything. Sanibel Chai, ELLE, 25 May 2023 Lush reports that around 90% of its core range in 2022 was self-preserving, and 86.9% of global Lush product sales between 2021 and 2022 were from customers purchasing self-preserving products. Liz Leavitt, refinery29.com, 1 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-preserving was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near self-preserving

Cite this Entry

“Self-preserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-preserving. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!