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Definition

self-preservation noun

/ˌselfˌprez.əˈveɪ.ʃən/US pronunciation symbol/-ɚ-/ n [U]
behaviour based on the characteristics or feelings which warn people or animals to protect themselves from difficulties or dangers
It was his instinct for self-preservation that led him to abandon his former friends and transfer his allegiance to the new rulers.

(Definition of self-preservation noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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