reservation

R1E1S1E1R1V4A1T1I1O1N1
US/ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/

noun

The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back.

“The committee authorised the reservation of funds.”

CommonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounreservation (countable and uncountable, plural reservations)

plural reservations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of reserving, withholding or keeping back.

    The committee authorised the reservation of funds.

    1. countableuncountableThe practice of reserving part of the consecrated bread of the Eucharist for the communion of the sick.
    2. countableuncountableThe act of the pope to reserve to himself the right to nominate to certain benefices.
  2. countableuncountableSomething that is withheld or kept back.
  3. countablein pluraloftenuncountableA limiting qualification regarding certainty or risk; a doubt or concern.

    I have reservations about your intentions.

    2 more examples

    I have some reservations about cosigning a loan for him.

    Apart from the problemette with the punchy bits, I've got only one reservation with the game and that's that the tie-in element is a bit shaky to say the least.

    1992, Jonny Quest (video game review) in Your Sinclair (issue 75, page 16)
  4. UScountableuncountableA tract of land set apart by the US government for the use of a Native American people, such as the Hopi Reservation or the Navajo Nation's territory.

    Synonyms: reserve, res, rez, rezzy, reserve, res, rez

  5. countableuncountableAn arrangement by which accommodation or transport arrangements are secured in advance.

    I have a hotel reservation in the name of Mr Smith.

    1 more example

    I haven't booked, so I don't have a clue as to whether the service will be busy or not. Supposedly, reservations are compulsory, but I want to find out what would happen if you just turn up.

    2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68

    Synonyms: booking

  6. UKcountableuncountableThe area which separates opposing lanes of traffic on a divided motorway or dual carriageway.

    A vehicle crashed through the central reservation into the path of oncoming traffic.

    1 more example

    A three-lane motorway can be up to (or even more than) 35 metres wide, with a hard shoulder on either side and a central reservation.

    2023 August 23, Chris Howe, “Green screen: HS2's route through the shires”, in RAIL, number 990, page 34

    Synonyms: central reservation, median, median strip, median, median strip

  7. IndiacountableuncountableThe setting aside of a certain percentage of vacancies in government institutions for members of backward and underrepresented communities (defined primarily by caste and tribe).
  8. countableuncountablegovernmentA power of an overseeing authority to suspend legislation in the jurisdiction being overseen pending the approval of a higher authority. Such as a provincial/state governor reserving a bill passed by the state/provincial legislature from assent, pending approval of the federal government; or a federal bill passed by federal parliament being reserved by the viceroy pending approval by the crown.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA tract of land set apart by the US government for the use of a Native American people, such as the Hopi Reservation or the Navajo Nation's territory.

nounAn arrangement by which accommodation or transport arrangements are secured in advance.

Similar

nounThe area which separates opposing lanes of traffic on a divided motorway or dual carriageway.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna district that is reserved for particular purpose

Similar
Broader
administrative districtadministrative divisionterritorial division

nouna statement that limits or restricts some claim

Broader

nounan unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly

Similar
mental reservationarriere pensee

nounthe act of reserving (a place or passage) or engaging the services of (a person or group)

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Frenchreservation
  2. Englishreservation

From Middle French reservation, equivalent to reserve + -ation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans voorbehoud, voorbehoud
  • voorbehoudsomething withheld
  • voorbehoudlimiting qualification
  • reservaattract of land
  • besprekingarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Arabic حَجْز
  • حَجْز (ḥajz)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
Bulgarian запас, уговорка
  • запас (zapas)something withheld
  • уговорка (ugovorka)limiting qualification
  • резерва (rezerva)limiting qualification
  • резерват (rezervat)tract of land
  • резерва́ция (rezervácija)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • запазване (zapazvane)act of withholding
Chinese Mandarin 保留地, 預約 /预约
  • 保留地 (bǎoliúdì)tract of land
  • 預約 /预约 (yùyuē)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • 保留 (bǎoliú)act of withholding
Czech výhrada, rezervace
  • výhradalimiting qualification
  • rezervacearrangement by which something is secured in advance
Danish forbehold, reservation
  • forbeholdlimiting qualification
  • reservationarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • reservationact of withholding
Dutch reserves, bedenkingen
  • reserveslimiting qualification
  • bedenkingenlimiting qualification
  • reservatiearrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • reserveringarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Esperanto rezervado, rezervado
  • rezervadotract of land
  • rezervadoarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • rezervadoact of withholding
Finnish pidätys, pidättäminen
  • pidätyssomething withheld
  • pidättäminensomething withheld
  • varauslimiting qualification
  • reservaattitract of land
  • varausarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • varaaminenact of withholding
French réservation, réserve
  • réservationsomething withheld
  • réservelimiting qualification
  • réservetract of land
  • réservationarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • réservationact of withholding
German Vorbehalt, Bedenken
  • Vorbehaltsomething withheld
  • Bedenkenlimiting qualification
  • Vorbehaltlimiting qualification
  • Reservattract of land
  • Reservierungarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • Reservierungact of withholding
Greek επιφύλαξη, κράτηση
  • επιφύλαξη (epifýlaxi)limiting qualification
  • κράτηση (krátisi)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
Hungarian fenntartás, kikötés
  • fenntartáslimiting qualification
  • kikötéslimiting qualification
  • megszorításlimiting qualification
  • záradéklimiting qualification
  • kétséglimiting qualification
  • rezervátumtract of land
  • vadrezervátumtract of land
  • védett/természetvédelmi területtract of land
  • foglalásarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • lefoglalásarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • helyfoglalásarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • szobafoglalásarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Indonesian pesanan
  • pesanansomething withheld
Irish agús
  • agúslimiting qualification
Italian prenotazione
  • prenotazionearrangement by which something is secured in advance
Japanese 居留地, 予約
  • 居留地 (kyoryūchi)tract of land
  • 予約 (yoyaku)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • 保留 (horyū)act of withholding
Korean 예약
  • 예약 (yeyak)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
Lithuanian abejonė, išlyga
  • abejonėlimiting qualification
  • išlygalimiting qualification
Malay tempahan, tempahan
  • tempahansomething withheld
  • tempahanarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Māori potau, whenua tāpui
  • potaulimiting qualification
  • whenua tāpuitract of land
  • whenua rāhuitract of land
  • tāpuitangaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Norwegian forbehold
  • forbeholdlimiting qualification
Polish zastrzeżenie, rezerwacja
  • zastrzeżenielimiting qualification
  • rezerwacjaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Portuguese ressalva, reserva
  • ressalvalimiting qualification
  • reservatract of land
  • reservaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • reservaact of withholding
  • reservaçãoact of withholding
Romanian rezervă, rezervație
  • rezervălimiting qualification
  • rezervațietract of land
  • rezervațiearrangement by which something is secured in advance
Russian сомнение, резерва́ция
  • сомнение (somnenije)limiting qualification
  • резерва́ция (rezervácija)tract of land
  • резерви́рование (rezervírovanije)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • брони́рование (bronírovanije)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • оставле́ние (ostavlénije)act of withholding
  • сохране́ние (soxranénije)act of withholding
Slovak rezervácia
  • rezerváciaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Spanish reserva, reserva
  • reservalimiting qualification
  • reservatract of land
  • cototract of land
  • reservaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • reservaciónarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Swedish undantag, reservation
  • undantagsomething withheld
  • reservationlimiting qualification
  • förbehålllimiting qualification
  • invändninglimiting qualification
  • reservattract of land
  • reservationarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • bokningarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • reservationact of withholding
Turkish yer ayırtma, rezervasyon
  • yer ayırtmaarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • rezervasyonarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Ukrainian застере́ження, резерва́ція
  • застере́ження (zasteréžennja)limiting qualification
  • резерва́ція (rezervácija)tract of land
  • резервува́ння (rezervuvánnja)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • бронюва́ння (bronjuvánnja)arrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • резервува́ння (rezervuvánnja)act of withholding
Vietnamese đặt, đặt trước
  • đặtarrangement by which something is secured in advance
  • đặt trướcarrangement by which something is secured in advance
Yiddish רעזערוואַציע
  • רעזערוואַציע (rezervatsye)arrangement by which something is secured in advance

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with reservation

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

reservation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reservation

MLA

“reservation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reservation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reservation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reservation.

Source: reservation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.