preservation

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The act of preserving; care to preserve; act of keeping from destruction, decay or any ill.

   “Every seneseless thing by nature's light Doth preservation seek, destruction shun”

   “The eyes of the Lord are upon them that love him, his is ther mighty protection, a preservation from stumbling, and a help from falling.”

   “Further, the Society pleads for the preservation of Sutton's Charity.”

   “Preservation of two railway routes between Belfast and Derry could no longer be justified and one of them must go.”

   “When a language dies members of the culture of which that language was once a part may attempt to hold on to their linguistic heritage, if not by the use of the defunct language itself, at least by the preservation of its script.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The state of being preserved, how something has survived.

   “The canoe is of pure black oak, and is in excellent preservation.”

   “Tons of engine sheds would bite the dust with the end of steam, and many would be demolished with their time in the spotlight over. We're lucky that the one at Didcot survived into preservation.”

   “As Edwin Clark [...] wrote in 1850: "[...] The lofty towers of the castle overhang the western approach to the Bridge, and the line passes into Conway through an opening pierced in the embattled wall, which entirely surrounds the town. These fortifications are in good preservation, and rank among the most perfect examples of the strongholds of the 13th century."”