conservationist

American  

[kon-ser-vey-shuh-nist] / ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃə nɪst /

noun

1. a person who advocates or promotes conservation, especially of natural resources.

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conservationist British  

/ ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃənɪst /

noun

1. a person who advocates or strongly promotes preservation and careful management of natural resources and of the environment

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Other Word Forms

• anticonservationist noun
• proconservationist adjective

Etymology

Origin of conservationist

First recorded in 1865–70; conservation + -ist

Compare meaning

How does conservationist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• conservationist vs. environmentalist

Example Sentences

“People sell those markers, even those little vases you put on them, and melt them down for money,” says Rebecca Meyer, 48, a gravestone conservationist and president of Epoch Preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal

ZSL conservationists hailed the births as a landmark in their international project to save the species.

From BBC

A pair of twin mountain gorillas has been born in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - a rare occurrence for the endangered primates, conservationists at Virunga National Park say.

From BBC

The pachyderm, fondly known as Craig, died of natural causes on Saturday morning at Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, conservationists confirmed.

From BBC

Wolves have since recolonized the state — a development hailed by conservationists as an ecological win but derided by many ranchers whose cattle are slaughtered by the skilled pack hunters.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• environmentalist