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

Already there have been promising strides in conservation.

From Los Angeles Times

A spokesperson for ZSL told the BBC that the past year had been particularly challenging for UK tourism and the global conservation sector.

From BBC

Goodall’s institute works on conservation of chimpanzee habitat and best conservation practices globally, and now has a youth outreach program called Roots & Shoots in 70 countries around the world.

From Salon

She became an international ambassador for chimps and conservation in 1986 when she saw a film about the mistreatment of laboratory chimps.

From Los Angeles Times

Greenpeace said it was "heartbroken" by her death, calling her "one of the true conservation giants of our time".

From BBC

Related Words

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