reservation

reservation — noun

1. a service that holds a spot — like a dining table, a hotel room, or an airline s

1.nounB1
Definition

a service that holds a spot — like a dining table, a hotel room, or an airline seat — for someone who asks for it ahead of time

Example

Jenna called the restaurant to make a reservation for eight people on Friday night.

make a reservation for [number] people

Dario checked his email and found the reservation for his flight to São Paulo.

reservation for [flight / travel]

Common collocations
  • make a reservation
  • have a reservation
  • cancel a reservation
  • confirm a reservation
  • reservation for two
Synonyms
  • booking

    more common for tickets and services like hotels; slightly more informal

Grammar Patterns

make a reservation

have a reservation

reservation for [number]

Usage Note

Often paired with 'make' to describe the act of reserving, or 'have' to describe already having one. Common in travel and dining contexts.

Common Mistakes

I made a reserve at the hotel.
I made a reservation at the hotel.
'reserve' is a verb; 'reservation' is the noun form.
I have a booking for the plane.
I have a reservation for the plane.
'booking' is more common for tickets; 'reservation' is the standard term for seats and tables.

2. a territory inside the United States that the federal government set aside as a

2.nounB2
Definition

a territory inside the United States that the federal government set aside as a home for Native American tribes, who govern themselves there

Example

The Navajo Nation reservation covers over twenty-seven thousand square miles across three states.

proper noun + reservation as a named area

Quinn visited a museum near the reservation to learn Lakota history.

Common collocations
  • on the reservation
  • tribal reservation
  • live on a reservation
Synonyms
  • reserve

    used in Canada and other countries for similar Indigenous lands

Grammar Patterns

[name] reservation

on a reservation

Usage Note

Capitalised when part of a specific tribe's official name (e.g. Pine Ridge Reservation). Commonly used with 'on' as the preposition. This sense is specific to US history and law.

3. a protected piece of land where wild animals are kept safe from hunters and wher

3.nounB2
Definition

a protected piece of land where wild animals are kept safe from hunters and where their natural surroundings are looked after

Example

The wildlife reservation in Kenya protects elephants from illegal hunting.

wildlife reservation + conservation context

Adina's class went to a nature reservation where they saw deer and birds.

Common collocations
  • wildlife reservation
  • nature reservation
  • animal reservation
Synonyms
  • reserve

    more common than 'reservation' for wildlife areas; 'wildlife reserve' is the typical term

  • preserve

    suggests a stronger emphasis on keeping nature in its original state

Grammar Patterns

wildlife reservation

nature reservation

Usage Note

Often overlaps with 'reserve' or 'preserve' — 'wildlife reserve' and 'nature preserve' are more common in everyday speech. 'Reservation' in this sense is slightly more formal.

4. a state of uncertainty or worry that stops you from fully supporting a plan, ide

4.nounB2
Definition

a state of uncertainty or worry that stops you from fully supporting a plan, idea, or choice — for instance, being unsure about trusting a person you have only just met

Example

Tanvi had serious reservations about signing the contract without reading every clause.

have reservations about + gerund

The committee expressed reservations about the proposed changes to the school schedule.

express reservations about [proposal]

Common collocations
  • have reservations about
  • express reservations
  • without reservation
  • serious reservations
  • some reservations
Synonyms
  • doubt

    stronger and more general; 'reservations' suggests specific concerns tied to a decision

  • misgiving

    more formal and slightly stronger; suggests moral or ethical unease

  • hesitation

    focuses on the delay in acting rather than on the doubt itself

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

have reservations about [something]

express reservations

without reservation

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural ('reservations'). The singular 'reservation' in this sense is rare except in the fixed expression 'without reservation'. Common verb partners: have, express, share, voice.

Common Mistakes

I have reservation about the deal.
I have reservations about the deal.
this sense is nearly always plural.
I doubt about the plan' (verb misuse).
I have reservations about the plan.
'doubt' is a different word class.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/4

All three words relate to uncertainty, but they differ in focus and intensity. 'Doubt' is the broadest: it questions whether something is true or correct ('I have doubts that the plan will work'). 'Reservation' (target word) is more specific — it suggests you mostly agree but have a particular concern or condition ('I support the plan, but I have reservations about the cost'). 'Misgiving' is the strongest, often carrying moral or emotional unease ('She had misgivings about lying to her friend'). 'Hesitation' focuses on delay in action rather than on the doubt itself ('He accepted without hesitation'). Use 'reservations' when you want to express measured, specific concerns without rejecting the whole idea.

doubt ↗misgivinghesitation ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • make a reservation
  • have reservations about
  • without reservation
  • express reservations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'reservation' comes from the Latin verb 'reservare', meaning 'to keep back' or 'to save'. 'Reservare' was formed from 're-' (back) and 'servare' (to keep, protect). It passed through Old French ('reservation') into Middle English. By the 1500s it was used in the sense of keeping something aside for a purpose. The meaning of 'doubt or limiting condition' developed in the 1600s, and the land-area meaning emerged in the 1800s in the context of US government policy toward Native Americans.