conservation

[kon-ser-vey-shuhn]

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.

conservation

/ 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

conservation

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservation¹

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

That year, the Nēnē was named the state bird, bringing more attention to conservation efforts and funding to captive breeding in order to release the bird back into the wild.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Arctic seals and birds are coming under increasing threat, mainly due to climate change and human activity, according to an updated list of endangered species released Friday by the world's top conservation body.

Read more on Barron's

The green turtle has been rescued from the brink of extinction in what scientists are calling a major conservation victory.

Read more on BBC

“If we get this right, we just do this once, and we’ve reset the country and native wildlife can thrive,” said Brent Beaven, the official at New Zealand’s conservation department in charge of the strategy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brendan Cummings, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said that removing deer would offer hope for an island that ranks “among the state’s most fragile and imperiled biodiversity hotspots.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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