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

With the help of conservation experts at the University of Lincoln, an in-depth analysis of the artwork was carried out using specialist techniques.

Read more on BBC

Instead it was “trying to help conservation organizations do their jobs.”

Read more on Barron's

“The fire gave us permission, or perhaps a mandate, to evolve,” said Angus, who plans to establish family and scouting programs and conservation internships.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The kites seemed to have wildlife conservations built in; only a select number would be trapped.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The changes are made starkly clear in comparisons by conservation start-up The TreeMap's Nusantara Atlas project, which paired declassified Cold War-era US spy images of the island with recent satellite photos.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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