reserve en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
- /ɹɪˈzɝv/ (General-American)
- /ɹɪˈzɜːv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Old French reserver, from Latin reservō (“to reserve, retain”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A restriction. ▸ The act of reserving or keeping back; reservation; exception.
The book is on reserve.
I accept your view with one reserve.
- (countable, uncountable) A restriction. ▸ Restraint of freedom in words or actions; backwardness; caution in personal behavior.
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ A natural resource known to exist but not currently exploited.
New oil reserves are continuously being discovered, but not as fast as the existing ones are running out.
If Alberta’s reserves are a carbon bomb, this global expansion of tar sands and oil shale exploitation amounts to an escalating emissions arms race, the unlocking of a subterranean cache of weapons of mass ecological destruction.
2014 April 25, Martin Lukacs, “Canada becoming launch-pad of a global tar sands and oil shale frenzy”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 190, number 20, page 13:
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ A tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose
the Clergy Reserves in Canada are for the support of the clergy.
the Connecticut Reserve in Ohio was originally set apart for the school fund of Connecticut.
- (Canada, countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ A tract of land set apart for the use of an Aboriginal group: Indian reserve.
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ A body of troops kept in the rear of an army drawn up for battle, reserved to support the other lines as occasion may require; a force or body of troops kept for an exigency.
no reserves [the military force is throwing everything it has at the front]
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ Funds kept on hand to meet planned or unplanned financial requirements.
The tone was set at Trump’s Inauguration. Tech moguls streamed into Washington; some sat behind the President during his Inaugural Address, a signal of the power they would wield. Over the next 11 months, they would use their enormous cash reserves, cultural power, and momentum to push their products into homes across the world.
2025 December 11, Charlie Campbell, Andrew R. Chow and Billy Perrigo, “The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year”, in Time:
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ A reserve price in an auction.
no reserve [the lot(s) will be sold no matter how low the bids are]
reserve not met [the lot(s) will not be sold because the highest bid was too low to be acceptable]
- (countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ Wine held back and aged before being sold.
-
(countable, uncountable) That which is reserved or kept back, as for future use. ▸ Absence of color or decoration; the state of being left plain.
Each is decorated with a simple disk in reserve and a band in reserve adorned with white dots.
1973, Charles Kyrle Wilkinson, Nishapur: Pottery of the Early Islamic Period, New York, N.Y: Metropolitan Museum of Art, page 161:
- (countable, uncountable) Something initially kept back for later use in recreation. ▸ A member of a team who does not participate from the start of the game, but can be used to replace tired or injured team-mates.
- (countable, uncountable) Something initially kept back for later use in recreation. ▸ A group or pile of cards dealt out at the beginning of a patience or solitaire game to be used during play.
- (countable, uncountable) In exhibitions, a distinction indicating that the recipient will get a prize in the event of another person being disqualified.
- (countable, qualifier:calico printing, uncountable) A resist.
- (countable, uncountable) A preparation used on an object being electroplated to fix the limits of the deposit.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| reserves | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
underreserve · reserve team · in reserve · nature reserve · Federal Reserve · off-reserve · Reserve Creek · cookie-jar reserve · functional reserve · reserve price · reserve currency · gold reserve · reservism · reserve buoyancy · reserve bank · unreserve · bioreserve · nonreserve · ressie · dividend equalisation reserve · natural reserve · cognitive reserve · reserveless · off reserve · reserve grade · reserve grader · wildlife reserve · urban reserve · fractional reserve banking · game reserve
Descendants
Relateds
Synonyms
Army Reserve (military: reserve forces) · reservists · res (tract of land for Aboriginal peoples) · TA · reticence (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · TAVR · Territorial Army · reservation · self-restraint (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · territorials · taciturnity (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · substitute (sports: reserve player) · terriers · rez (tract of land for Aboriginal peoples) · reservation (tract of land for Aboriginal peoples)
Translations (220)
et varumine (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · bg сдържаност (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · sl rezerva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pt reserva (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · ky резерв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · bg запа́с (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · sv reservat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nb reserverthet (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · sh рѐзе̄рва (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nn reserve (known unexploited natural resource) · cmn 保護區 /保护区 (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · ru запа́с (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 準備金 (finance: funds kept on hand) · pl zapasy (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ka რეზერვი (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · mi āpure moana (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · de Reserviertheit (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · da reserve (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nb bestilling (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · ru резе́рвный фонд (finance: funds kept on hand) · bg запа́си (known unexploited natural resource) · de Reserve (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ja 補欠 (sports: reserve player) · tr rezerv (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nn reserve (finance: funds kept on hand) · ru резерви́рование (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · mi whenua rāhui (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · fi varautuneisuus (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · ru резе́рв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 保護区 (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · be рэзэ́рв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · mi poro(w)hita (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · bg запа́с (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · de Reservieren (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · nl reserve (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · mi taiāpure (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · uz zapas (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ru резерва́ция (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · el επιφύλαξη (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · ru запа́с (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · mi wāhi poro(w)hita (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · ru сде́ржанность (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · ko 예비역 (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · fr réservation (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · pl odwód (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · nb tilbakeholdenhet (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · kk қор (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · bg запася́ване (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · cmn 保留地 (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · bg резе́рвен фонд (finance: funds kept on hand) · ko 거류지 (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nb reserve (sports: reserve player) · ja 予備役 (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · fi varaus (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · pl rezerwa (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · sv reserv (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · el αποθεματικό (finance: funds kept on hand) · ja 控え (sports: reserve player) · sh рѐзе̄рва (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · uz zaxira (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · be рэзэрва́цыя (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nn reserve (sports: reserve player) · fi reservi (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · de Naturreservat (known unexploited natural resource) · az qoruq (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · sh rèzērva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · de Reservation (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · es reserva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · cmn 預備役 /预备役 (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ko 예비 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nb reservetropp (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ka მარაგი (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · be рэзерва́цыя (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · ko 보호구 (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · mi pūtea penapena (finance: funds kept on hand) · nl aboriginalreservaat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nb reservasjon (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 控えめ (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · ms rizab (finance: funds kept on hand) · be рэзэ́рва (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 引当金 (finance: funds kept on hand) · nl reservaat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · sk rezervácia (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · la vēlātī (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ota قوری (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · mk резерва (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nn reserve (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · de Reservat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · pl rezerwat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nb reserve (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 居留地 (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · uz qoʻriq (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · hu tartalék (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · la subsidiāriī (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · sk rezerva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · fi varmuusvarasto (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · de Reserve (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · bg резерва́т (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · cs zásoba (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · de Vorbehalt (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · sv reservation (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · nb reservat (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · bg резе́рв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pt reserva (sports: reserve player) · cs rezerva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ru запасно́й (sports: reserve player) · be запа́сы (known unexploited natural resource) · mi whenua tāpui (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · tl panimbos (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · sv tillgång (known unexploited natural resource) · ko 보호구 (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · uk резерва́ція (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · ar اِحْتِيَاط (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · de Bedenken (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · tl pataan (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nb reserve (known unexploited natural resource) · fi varanto (known unexploited natural resource) · mk резерва (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ky запас (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · bg резе́рвен игра́ч (sports: reserve player) · cs rezervace (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · sl rezerva (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · pt reserva (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · ko 비축 (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · bg резерви́раност (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · uk запа́с (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · cmn 後備 /后备 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · sv reserver (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pt reserva (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nl reserve (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · sk rezerva (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · sv reserv (sports: reserve player) · uk резе́рв (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ja 備蓄 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · kk запас (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nb reservering (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · cs rezerva (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · de Reserve (finance: funds kept on hand) · ar ذَخِيرَة (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · mi rāhui (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · pl rezerwa (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ru запаса́ние (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · pl rezerwa (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ja 予備 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · hy պահեստ (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nn reserve (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pl rezerwowa (sports: reserve player) · nl indianenreservaat (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · pl rezerwy (known unexploited natural resource) · cmn 保護區 /保护区 (known unexploited natural resource) · ja 予約 (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · be запа́с (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ka რეზერვის (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ja 自制 (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · he מִלּוּאִים (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ru запо́ведник (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · tg захира (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · fi vararahasto (finance: funds kept on hand) · ko 예비대 (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · pt reserva (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · fr réserves (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pl rezerwacja (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · sh rèzērva (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · bg резе́рв (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ja 保護区 (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · pt reserva (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · cmn 貯備 /贮备 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · fr réserve (known unexploited natural resource) · no reservefond (finance: funds kept on hand) · fi reservi (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ka სარეზერვო (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ru резерва́ция (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · fr réserve (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · ja 予備兵力 (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ms rezab (finance: funds kept on hand) · uk запа́си (known unexploited natural resource) · sk zásoba (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pl rezerwowy (sports: reserve player) · fa-ira ذَخیرِه (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · be рэзэ́рв (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · fi varanto (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · az ehtiyat (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ka სადათარიგო (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pl rezerwat (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · be рэзе́рв (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · de Schutzgebiet (known unexploited natural resource) · fi reservaatti (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · ru запасно́й игро́к (sports: reserve player) · ko 비축 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · be рэзэ́рва (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ko 예약 (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · fr remplaçant (sports: reserve player) · nb reserve (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · ug زاپاس (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · fi -alue (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · no forråd (finance: funds kept on hand) · bg премълча́ване (restraint of freedom in words or actions) · bg резерви́ране (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · sv reservat (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · pl rezerwa (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · tr rezerv (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · fr réserve (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · pl zapas (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · nb reservespiller (sports: reserve player) · nb reserve (finance: funds kept on hand) · fr réserve (tract of land reserved for Aboriginal people) · nb reservasjon (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · ru резе́рв (military: body of troops in the rear of an army) · pl zastrzeżenie (the act of reserving or keeping back; reservation) · kk қорық (tract of land reserved, or set apart, for a particular purpose) · uk резе́рв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · be рэзе́рв (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · cmn 儲備 /储备 (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · ka სამარაგო (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pt reserva (finance: funds kept on hand) · tr yedek (that which is reserved or kept back, as for future use) · pt reserva (known unexploited natural resource) · fi vaihtopelaaja (sports: reserve player) · ru запа́сы (known unexploited natural resource) · fi varanto (finance: funds kept on hand)