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
• nonconservation
  noun
• self-conservation
  noun
• conservational
  adjective
• nonconservational
  adjective
• proconservation
  adjective

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

See Examples For:

conservation

These tensions shaped Doley's belief that conservation could not be separated from the rights of local communities.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Opening our backcountry forests to more roads and development, and therefore more ignitions, is also not a wildfire solution and never will be,” said Josh Hicks, director of conservation with the nonprofit Wilderness Society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Once hunted to near extinction, the rebound of humpback whales is considered among the conservation movement's greatest success stories.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The same conservation principle also applies on the scale of the universe.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

A highlight of the week was the official opening of one of our most exciting projects, TACARE, a Tanzanian reforestation, conservation, and education program.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

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