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self-preservation | meaning of self-preservation in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishself-preservationˌself-preserˈvation noun [uncountable]    PROTECTprotection of yourself and your own life in a threatening or dangerous situation  the instinct for self-preservationExamples from the Corpusself-preservationPolitics and self-preservation must come first, never mind the majority of the people.Otherwise a decreasing fraction of the flow would be turbulent, and, for example, self-preservation could not occur.More generally, the instinctive drive for self-preservation led to the emergence of a range of public and governmental institutions.But his adaptability did not apply to his tenets, merely to his instinct for self-preservation.What seems to motivate Congress is self-preservation - a desire to get re-elected.There is a feeling of self-preservation here; for what shuts out happiness for some does so for me and mine.It was a matter of self-preservation.But I also joined out of self-preservation.Thoughts around Salomon Brothers turned away from the greater glory of the firm and focused on self-preservation.