noun

reservation

rez-er-VAY-shuhn/ˌrezərˈveɪʃn/

The setting aside of something for designated use.

The reservation keeps the empty table available for the arriving couple.

Host places small functional RESERVED card on one empty dining table with two chairs while expecting arriving couple; reserved place clearly kept available, no room scenery.

Etymology

reLatinback

+servLatinto keep, preserve

+ationLatinact or process

Originally an act of “keeping back,” a reservation came to mean securing a room or seat by setting it aside. The booking sense applies the older idea of preservation to availability for a particular customer.

In context

Real Crime10:19

I'm at the hotel and my reservation isn't there. And there's no room at this hotel.

Inside The Mind Of A Romance Fraudster | Scammed | Real Crime

More examples

Please confirm your hotel reservation before you travel.
The reservation of these seats ensures space for wheelchair users.
The tribe manages natural resources on its reservation.

Forms

reservation · reservations

reserve verb — Keep something available for a particular use.

Similar words

booking: Usually secures a room, seat, or service in advance.
allocation: Assigns a share of available resources to a particular purpose.