conservator
Americannoun
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a person who repairs, restores, or maintains the condition of objects, as paintings or sculptures in an art museum, or books in a library.
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Law. a guardian; a custodian.
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British. a person employed by a conservancy commission; a conservation worker.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of conservator
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin, equivalent to conservā(re) “to keep safe; preserve” + -tor agent suffix; see conserve -tor
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.
Once the sari and the matching blue blouse reached the museum, textiles conservator Beth Knight watched YouTube videos to learn how to drape it on the mannequin.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
A conservator uncovers the shard, which bears an intense blue figure of a skylark — evidence, at least to the reader, that Alouette’s recipe endured, and a symbol of how both she and Sasha escaped.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
In some locales, this can also be the term used for the person named to handle financial affairs, but that can be a separate determination, usually referred to as a conservator.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026
In the 1960s, the aptly named conservator Ottorino Nonfarmale—“do no harm”—successfully transferred the painting from its fragile wood panel to a stable support system.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
Eventually, the student sorters were joined by six local glass menders, a professional glass conservator, and two illustrators.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
