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

• anticonservation noun
• conservational adjective
• nonconservation noun
• nonconservational adjective
• proconservation adjective
• self-conservation 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; conserve, -ate ¹, -ion

Example Sentences

Ian Golding, whose parents owned “The Bounty” on Baxter Road, sat on the conservation commission and initially supported the geotubes, until the Sconset group failed to provide enough sand, among other things.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Planning new projects in ways that avoid harm to wildlife and include proactive conservation plans can avoid lawsuits, permit delays, reputational risks and increased costs.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

That only changed when the rusted school clock that stopped at 09:13 was discovered in a wardrobe in 2019 and sent to St Fagan's for conservation.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The budget would shift the agency’s focus toward domestic timber production and wildfire risk mitigation and response, and away from more recent turns toward conservation and recreation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

A few months later, Houghton took Thomas Hoving, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, down to the Getty’s conservation studio to see the statue as well.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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