conserve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of.
Conserve your strength for the race.
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to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save.
Conserve the woodlands.
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Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process.
the interaction conserved linear momentum.
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to preserve (fruit) by cooking with sugar or syrup.
noun
verb
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to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc
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to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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conservernoun
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conservableadjective
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nonconservingadjective
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self-conservingadjective
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unconservedadjective
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unconservingadjective
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well-conservedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conservesimple
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conservessimple
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have conservedperfect
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has conservedperfect
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am conservingprogressive
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are conservingprogressive
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is conservingprogressive
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have been conservingperfect progressive
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has been conservingperfect progressive
Past
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conservedsimple
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had conservedperfect
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was conservingprogressive
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were conservingprogressive
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had been conservingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conserve
First recorded in 1325–75; (for the verb) Middle English, from Latin conservāre “to save, preserve”; equivalent to con- + serve; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French conserve, noun derivative of conserver, from Latin, as above
Explanation
To conserve is to save or protect something, like money, or your energy on a long run. People are also encouraged to conserve energy by turning off lights and not cranking the air conditioner. Conserve is from the Latin for "to keep, preserve, guard" (conservare). Con means "together," so "together" we can "serve" the planet by not doing doughnuts in the wetlands on our jet skis. You can conserve the planet or a little something for yourself — you might conserve hot water so you can wash your hair later, or try to conserve your old bedroom when you go off to college (and your mom is ready for a home office).
Vocabulary lists containing conserve
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The latest results highlight a pronounced turnaround for Intel, which just two years ago had to suspend its dividend and conduct massive layoffs as it looked to conserve cash.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Both Messi and Ronaldo have benefited from how they play as well, walking rather running for long stretches of the game to conserve energy for the burst they need to lose a defender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
DST, which also helped conserve fuel during the first world war, was unpopular with farmers and was repealed after the war.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“It’s conserve and then open up the valves again. Learn how to hold yourself in reserve a little bit and play around with energy—rather than just smash into it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Exactly. The best way to conserve water right now is to hold onto the water your body already has.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
"Once you get it moving, it isn't hard at all - people are pulling with one arm. It conserves energy, and it moves really quickly," said Lipo.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2025
The harbour is leased from East Lothian Council and managed by the volunteer-run North Berwick Harbour Trust charity, which maintains and conserves the site.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2023
Beyond 2023-24, the Kraken limiting Dunn’s deal term hedges bets and conserves future cap space — knowing bigger contracts await Matty Beniers and potentially top draft picks such as Shane Wright and Ryker Evans.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
In contrast, reducing waste generation conserves natural resources and avoids other negative environmental impacts throughout a product's life.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2023
The program reduces pollution and conserves natural resources.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
If properly conserved, they can last for hundreds of years.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
It raised the height of a dam to double its storage, built the desalination plant and acquired rights to a trove of conserved Colorado River water from a desert farming district.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
"It was exciting to show that the growth signal is so conserved across the body. Maybe this is a tiny wedge to start investigating that in some different ways."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026
Abroad, though, interest rates and inflation risks have shot up, fuel is being conserved, and economic forecasts are darkening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
This conserved our energy and vastly increased our chances of getting up Everest, but I found it hugely unsatisfying.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Understanding the evolutionary response to climate change is crucial to conserving the world’s primates, and other species beyond.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026
The project will also advance California’s goal of conserving 30% of the state’s land and coastal waters by 2030, the governor’s office said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026
For example, in the early 1990s, he and his colleagues examined standard recommendations for conserving reed beds—important habitats for birds that become overgrown with trees over time.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
That’s either because it is no longer capable of firing as many missiles or because it is conserving its munitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
Both winners seemed to ease up at the end, conserving energy and turning in relatively slow times, doing just enough to qualify.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
