conservationist

American  

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

noun

• conservationists
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• anticonservationist
  noun
• proconservationist
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conservationists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of conservationist

First recorded in 1865–70; conservation + -ist

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Compare meaning

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

• conservationist vs. environmentalist

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conservationist conservationists

“Like the ban on whaling or the abolition of slavery, it’s time to consign trophy hunting to the dustbin of history,” said Eduardo Goncalves, a conservationist with the U.K.-based Wildlife and Conservation Foundation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Nick Dulvy, a professor and marine conservationist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, called it a “disaster” and said that biologically, the sharks are “the most sensitive species in the ocean to overfishing.”

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

"Beguiled by their cuteness," conservationist Ian Hughes has made it his "life-defining" mission to protect the threatened mollusc, which was once widespread in UK waters.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

In 2010, Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal by then-President Obama for his achievements as a poet, novelist, farmer and conservationist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

In science, we watch a documentary about Rachel Carson, the conservationist who wrote a book called Silent Spring.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

The animal has disappeared from much of the countryside with conservationists warning of a long-term collapse in its population.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

It has also helped conservationists in Africa, who are seeking to track poachers from above without being detected.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

But conservationists say that land exchanges have historically been used only to expand the boundaries of federal parkland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

News of the proposed land exchange set off a fury among conservationists, former Yosemite officials and many members of the public.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Meanwhile, conservationists argue for keeping this unpopulous region as close to nature as possible.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

• environmentalist

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