conservation

American  

[kon-ser-vey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation.

   conservation of wildlife;

   conservation of human rights.

   Synonyms:

   protection, husbandry, care

2. official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order to preserve and protect them through prudent management.

3. a district, river, forest, etc., under such supervision.

4. the careful utilization of a natural resource in order to prevent depletion.

5. the restoration and preservation of works of art.

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conservation British  

/ ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of conserving or keeping from change, loss, injury, etc

2. 1. protection, preservation, and careful management of natural resources and of the environment

   2. ( as modifier )

      a conservation area

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conservation Scientific  

/ kŏn′sûr-vā′shən /

1. The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural environments and the ecological communities that inhabit them. Conservation is generally held to include the management of human use of natural resources for current public benefit and sustainable social and economic utilization.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• conservational
  adjective
• nonconservation
  noun
• nonconservational
  adjective
• self-conservation
  noun
• proconservation
  adjective
• anticonservation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conservation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English conservacioun, from Latin conservātiōn- (stem of conservātiō ), equivalent to conservāt(us) (past participle of conservāre “to save, preserve”) + -iōn- noun suffix; see conserve, -ate ¹, -ion

Explanation

Conservation is when you keep something from running out — whether it's plants, animals, or resources. Your new conservation project, "Save the Pigeons," might not catch on as quickly as you'd hoped. Conservation is closely related to preservation. Both are positive words that give an impression of care and attention. Your habit of never leaving the couch might sound more impressive if you refer to it as "energy conservation."

Example Sentences

Dr Caroline Finlay, Director of Conservation at Detection Dogs NI, said there were "birds who've been raised in captivity before, now nesting on Sliabh Beagh successfully, which is absolutely fantastic".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The findings, published in Conservation Letters, suggest that governments risk undermining conservation gains when they fail to address the long-term financial and social costs that wildlife recovery can place on local residents.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation remains critical of the project, however, insisting that nuclear waste poses a long-term, serious risk.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

“It’s silly to go to these lengths and damage the environment for no quantified risk,” said Grant Smith, the managing director of the Sharklife Conservation Group in Sodwana Bay, South Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

The sub was taken directly to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston and put into a specially designed 75,000 gallon freshwater conservation tank.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• care
• conservancy
• control
• maintenance
• management
• protection
• supervision