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; see conserve, -ate ¹, -ion

Explanation

Conservation is when you keep something from running out — whether it's plants, animals, or resources. Your new conservation project, "Save the Pigeons," might not catch on as quickly as you'd hoped. Conservation is closely related to preservation. Both are positive words that give an impression of care and attention. Your habit of never leaving the couch might sound more impressive if you refer to it as "energy conservation."

Example Sentences

The facility will also house a conservation center for endangered objects and paper archives, and will feature a digitization and imaging lab that will make the collections available online, free of charge.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

In Gloucestershire, McLaughlin said Sir David "set the standard" of what the wildlife trust should be doing when he opened its conservation centre at Robinswood Hill in 1992.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

In its earliest days, TBS aired old movies and comedy reruns, and was also the home of “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” Turner’s effort to blend his passion for ecological conservation with educational programming.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

He put some of the first conservation easements in the country on Hope Plantation and St. Phillips Island, according to “Last Stand.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Thus the universe can double the amount of positive matter energy and also double the negative gravitational energy without violation of the conservation of energy.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

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