Réserve

Réserve is a French noun with several related meanings that revolve around keeping something back or setting it aside. It can denote a portion kept back for future use, a protected area for wildlife, or a disposition characterized by caution or reticence. The term appears across many domains, in phrases such as réserve naturelle, réserve financière, and équipe réserve. It derives from the verb réserver, which itself comes from Latin reservare, meaning to keep back or set aside.

In conservation, a réserve naturelle is a legally protected area designated to preserve biodiversity, regulate land use, and support research and education. Such reserves aim to maintain ecosystems and species, sometimes allowing controlled access for visitors or scientific activities and often forming part of broader networks of protected areas.

In finance and economics, a réserve refers to funds set aside to cover risks or future obligations. Examples include la réserve légale, the mandatory portion of profits that a company must retain, and les réserves monétaires, the foreign exchange reserves held by central banks as part of monetary policy.

In law, la réserve héréditaire designates the legally protected portion of an estate that must go to certain heirs, with the remainder forming la quotité disponible that the deceased can freely dispose of.

In military and sport, la réserve denotes personnel or units not on active duty; the équipe réserve refers to the reserve or second team.

In everyday language, parler avec réserve means speaking cautiously or with restraint, reflecting a communicative stance of prudence.