conservation

[ kon-ser-vey-shuhn ]

/ ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: conservation / conservational 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR conservation

1 care, husbandry, protection.

See synonyms for conservation on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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, -ate¹, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM conservation

con·ser·va·tion·al, adjectivean·ti·con·ser·va·tion, noun, adjectivenon·con·ser·va·tion, nounnon·con·ser·va·tion·al, adjective

pro·con·ser·va·tion, adjectiveself-con·ser·va·tion, noun

Words nearby conservation

consequentialism, consequently, consequent stream, conservable, conservancy, conservation, conservation biology, conservation dependent, conservation grade, conservationist, conservation law

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conservation in a sentence

If the foxes become tolerant of 1080, the conservation consequences could be harsh, Letnic says.
Culling dingoes with poison may be making them bigger|Jake Buehler|August 19, 2020|Science News
Starting out on a pre-med track, she eventually found conservation biology.
3-D Printed Statues in Central Park Shine a Light on Women Scientists - Facts So Romantic|Mary Ellen Hannibal|August 18, 2020|Nautilus
Previous work has suggested this ice loss could decrease emperor penguin populations by about 31 percent over the next 60 years, an assessment that is shifting the birds’ conservation status from near threatened to vulnerable.
Penguin poop spotted from space ups the tally of emperor penguin colonies|Carolyn Gramling|August 4, 2020|Science News
The answers could affect conservation efforts and our understanding of how much interdependence there is among organisms, species and their physical surroundings.
What Is an Individual? Biology Seeks Clues in Information Theory.|Jordana Cepelewicz|July 16, 2020|Quanta Magazine

At the time he was trying to map the movements of fish as an aid to marine conservation.
Random Search Wired Into Animals May Help Them Hunt|Liam Drew|June 11, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The battle between conservation groups and FWS over the fate of the Yellowstone grizzly is about to repeat.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But while restoration is important, what these initiatives lack is a master conservation plan.
For Rent: Priceless Historic Sites|Elinor Betesh|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But three hours from the construction site, the war between oil and conservation is palpable.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now poaching is on the rise and wildlife conservation in peril.
Ebola Could Deal a Death Blow to Africa’s Wildlife|Brandon Presser|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Interestingly, the League of Conservation Voters is a big player here.
Dark Money and Our Looming Oligarchy|Michael Tomasky|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the war has shown that the most important thing of all is the conservation of men and women.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Napoleon had only one object—to draw the alliance closer in the eyes of all Europe for the conservation of his prestige.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
The idea that the Church can, in these times, serve as a basis for justice or the conservation of property, is simply absurd.
My Religion|Leo Tolstoy
In regard to the Conservation movement: I sympathize very strongly with my good friends here from the West.
Proceedings of the Second National Conservation Congress|Various
It is a section, therefore, in which the conservation of the soil is of the highest importance.
Proceedings of the Second National Conservation Congress|Various

British Dictionary definitions for conservation

conservation

/ (ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən) /

noun

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

protection, preservation, and careful management of natural resources and of the environment
(as modifier)a conservation area

Derived forms of conservation

conservational, 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

Scientific 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.

conservation

OTHER WORDS FOR conservation

Origin of conservation

OTHER WORDS FROM conservation

Words nearby conservation

Words related to conservation

How to use conservation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conservation

Derived forms of conservation

Scientific definitions for conservation