conservationist
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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:
Explanation
A conservationist is someone who protects animals, plants, or their habitats. Some conservationists clean seabirds after oil spills in the ocean, while others are teachers who educate students about environmental issues. If you care about preserving wildlife and the environment, you might want to be a conservationist. As a job, this can mean working as a wildlife biologist, an environmental political lobbyist, a forestry technician, or a park ranger — all professions that involve the care and protection of land, waters, and animals. You're also a conservationist if you volunteer at a local wildlife rehabilitation center or regularly call your state representatives to encourage their votes on environmental legislation.
Vocabulary lists containing conservationist
Workshop 2, Part 2
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 4–October 10, 2025
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A conservationist, Turner owned and operated 13 ranches that were home to roughly 45,000 bison, Turner Enterprises said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Jane Kendrick, from the farm, said Sir David had visited them in the early 2000's to film the blue morpho's and they wanted to do something to celebrate the conservationist on his 100th birthday.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
He also praised the work of fellow TV conservationist Sir David Attenborough, who had "taught generations of young people to develop a deep-rooted love for the natural world".
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
"Revoking permits is not immediately a win," said Panut Hadisiswoyo, a conservationist and orangutan specialist.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
In 1947 the conservationist Aldo Leopold dedicated a monument to the pigeon near the site of its greatest recorded nesting, at which hunters slaughtered 1.5 million birds.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
