conservatorship

American  

[kuhn-sur-vuh-ter-ship] / kənˈsɜr və tər ʃɪp /

noun

1. the position of being a conservator, especially a person who repairs, restores, or maintains the condition of objects in a museum, library, etc..

   The program will give participants an opportunity to get a feel for the level of precision and care necessary for a career in museum conservatorship.

2. Law. an agreement or order under which one person or entity controls the personal and financial affairs of another, such as a minor or someone who is considered legally incapable of managing their own affairs.

   She's under a court-approved conservatorship that oversees every significant purchase and every key decision that she wants to make.

3. Law. an agreement whereby a business or financial entity is placed under the control of another entity, usually temporarily and often as a result of prior or impending failure.

   This week, a bipartisan coalition in the legislature is demanding that the agency’s leaders be replaced and the agency be put under an independent conservatorship.

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Etymology

Origin of conservatorship

conservator ( def. ) + -ship ( def. )

Explanation

When a judge appoints a guardian to manage another person's money, it's called a conservatorship. When a court establishes a conservatorship, it's meant to protect someone who is unable to care for themselves or make their own financial decisions. That can be because they're too young, or because they have a mental illness or a condition like dementia. A conservatorship can be an elderly person's grown child managing their finances, or a guardian assisting someone who has developmental disabilities. The Latin root of conservatorship means "keeper" or "defender."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conservatorship

For 13 years until 2021, Spears was in a conservatorship – a legal guardianship under which her finances and personal life were controlled by her father.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

In 2009, after petitioning the court to have her ailing father placed under a conservatorship, Catherine was permitted to visit Peter Falk, who was suffering from dementia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

A last resort would be a conservatorship, which is an involuntary process and takes place when a person is unable to take care of their finances.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

The treatment of the Treasury’s stake in the companies, which is a mechanism of its conservatorship, is one of the key questions about their future.

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

But guardianship and conservatorship are among the most sweeping legal interventions courts may impose on adults.

From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2026