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

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

Experts from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd also warned that the whale is suffering from a skin disease.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

They reinforce the central principle of CMS that conservation solutions must cover the full geographic range of migratory species and depend on cooperation between countries.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

While companies have also stepped up investment in nature restoration and conservation projects, carbon removal is a separate tool seen as a way of addressing unavoidable residual emissions from operations and supply chains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

It was my favorite episode, the one about the law of conservation of energy.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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