Dictionary.com
definitions

conservation

[ kon-ser-vey-shuhn ]
/ ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃən /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation: conservation of wildlife; conservation of human rights.
official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order to preserve and protect them through prudent management.
a district, river, forest, etc., under such supervision.
the careful utilization of a natural resource in order to prevent depletion.
the restoration and preservation of works of art.

RELATED CONTENT

What Does 🕊️ Dove Of Peace Emoji Mean?The dove of peace emoji or dove emoji was originally designed to be a religious symbol that resonated with Christian and Jewish users as well as a symbol for peace.
READ MORE
Intrusive vs. ObtrusiveThe meanings and sounds of both words are close enough that it can be easy to confuse them. Some thesauruses present the words as synonyms, but there are a few subtle distinctions between them.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

control, management, supervision, protection, conservancy, maintenance, care, keeping, safekeeping, saving, attention, storage, governing, upkeep, economy, salvation, custody, guardianship, stewardship, sustentation

Nearby words

  1. consequential,
  2. consequentialism,
  3. consequently,
  4. conservable,
  5. conservancy,
  6. conservation biology,
  7. conservation grade,
  8. conservation law,
  9. conservation law ,
  10. conservation laws

Origin of conservation

1350–1400; Middle English conservacioun < Latin conservātiōn- (stem of conservātiō), equivalent to conservāt(us) (past participle of conservāre to conserve; see -ate1) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conservation

British Dictionary definitions for conservation

conservation

/ (ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of conserving or keeping from change, loss, injury, etc
  1. protection, preservation, and careful management of natural resources and of the environment
  2. (as modifier)a conservation area
Derived Formsconservational, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for conservation

conservation

n.

late 14c., conservacioun, "preservation of one's health and soundness," from Latin conservationem (nominative conservatio) "a keeping, preserving, conserving," noun of action from past participle stem of conservare (see conserve). Meaning "preservation of existing conditions" in any sense is from mid-15c. Since late 15c., in reference to English municipal authorities who had charge of rivers, sewers, forests, fisheries, etc. Specifically of the environment from 1922.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for conservation

conservation

[ kŏn′sûr-vā′shən ]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.