reservatio

Reservatio is a Latin noun meaning “keeping back” or the act of reserving. In modern usage, the term appears in English and in several Romance languages as the root of words such as reservation (English), reserva (Spanish, Portuguese), réserve (French), and riserva (Italian). The core sense is to set aside something for future use or to withhold it temporarily.

In law and contracts, a reservation denotes a proviso or clause that preserves certain rights or qualifications while the main agreement remains in effect. Common examples include reservations of rights, limits on obligations, or clauses that exclude application of certain terms under specified conditions. In property transactions, a reservation may allow the grantor to retain rights such as minerals, easements, or other interests in land after transfer.

In international law, reservations to treaties are statements by a state at the time of signing or ratifying a treaty that modify or exclude the legal effects of certain provisions for that state. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties governs admissibility, compatibility with the treaty’s object and purpose, and acceptance by other parties.

In everyday usage, reservation also refers to the act of booking or holding a place or service in advance, such as a restaurant table or hotel room. While this modern sense differs from the legal one, both derive from the same core concept of keeping something in reserve for later use.