self-preservation.

Protection of one’s own life, safety, or continued existence.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• instinct for self-preservation
• an act of self-preservation
• self-preservation took over

On the page

Self-preservation made him drop the bag and grab the rail.

She called the refusal an act of self-preservation, not betrayal.

For a moment, loyalty and self-preservation pulled him in opposite directions.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. A motive or instinct, not a feeling; can prompt either prudent action or abandonment of others. Broader than panic. Usually uncountable in this sense.