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

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; conserve, -ate ¹, -ion

Example Sentences

Following the discovery, scientists stressed the need for immediate conservation action.

From Science Daily

He said Butyagin had ensured conservation and preservation of the site he was excavating.

From BBC

"Documentation is the first step in conservation -- we can't safeguard a species from extinction if we don't know it exists."

From Science Daily

In recent years, she devoted much of her time to activism and charity work surrounding conservation issues, animal rights and endangered primates and climate change.

From The Wall Street Journal

Eissa Zidan, head of conservation projects at the museum, said the wooden planks were "thermally degraded and in a very weak condition".

From Barron's

Related Words

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