French word

conservateur

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃sɛʁvatœʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpreservative

Example

Ce produit est sans conservateur.

This product is free of preservatives.

Illustration for conservateur (preservative)

More examples

On évite souvent d'ajouter du conservateur dans les produits frais.

People often avoid adding preservatives to fresh products.

Core concept

An ingredient added to food or cosmetics to protect them from spoilage caused by microorganisms.

Common phrases

  • sans conservateur

    without preservatives

  • conservateur alimentaire

    food preservative

Similar words

antioxydant: A substance that prevents oxidation and limits changes in fats, oils, or color.
additif: An added ingredient that gives a product a desired property or function.
agent de conservation: An ingredient added to a product specifically to help preserve it.

Definition in French

Substance chimique ajoutée à un produit (aliment, cosmétique, etc.) pour prévenir la prolifération des micro-organismes et maintenir sa qualité.

Word origin

The noun conservateur comes from conserver, meaning to preserve, and ultimately from Latin conservare, meaning to protect or preserve.

Usage tips

  • In a product context, conservateur means preservative, while in other contexts the same masculine noun can mean a conservative or a curator.

Other meanings

  • conservativenoun
  • curatornoun

Related words

Word lists with this word