conservatory

American  

[kuhn-sur-vuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / kənˈsɜr vəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

conservatories plural

1. a school giving instruction in one or more of the fine or dramatic arts; specifically, a school of music.

2. a greenhouse, usually attached to a dwelling, for growing and displaying plants.

3. Archaic. a place where things are preserved.

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adjective

1. serving or adapted to conserve; preservative.

conservatory British  

/ kənˈsɜːvətrɪ /

noun

1. a greenhouse, esp one attached to a house

2. another word for conservatoire

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adjective

1. preservative

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• conservatories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of conservatory

1555–65; < Latin conservā ( re ) ( see conserve) + -tory ²; in the sense “music school” < French or Italian; see conservatoire

Explanation

A conservatory is a place to grow. It could be one of those glass greenhouses where rare and delicate plants can thrive. Or it could be a place to grow your artistic talent — like a music conservatory. A conservatory can conserve more than just plants; it can conserve culture, too. And so we have the conservatory as a school for the fine arts, in particular ballet and classical music — often known by their fancy French title, conservatoire. The word comes from the Latin word conservare, meaning "to preserve."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conservatory conservatories

Inside the conservatory, eager sniffers took selfies and marveled at the plants’ size and smell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Since the garden exhibited its first corpse flower in 1999, thousands of people flock to its conservatory every summer, just to smell these putrid plants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Seth Rogen, in the finest performance he’s ever given, plays Joe, who is introduced vacantly presiding over a music lesson at a mediocre conservatory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

“A soaring two-story glass conservatory, expansive living and dining rooms, and an open-concept kitchen with sliding glass doors invite seamless indoor-outdoor living while overlooking the skyline,” the description went on.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

Madame Rubenstein comes from the music conservatory at the University of Cincinnati.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Corpse flowers are showstoppers in the staid world of conservatories and botanic gardens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

These groups included school and college students, youth athletes, young chess players, and musicians training at conservatories.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2025

Instead, Kilmer became the then youngest pupil to enrol at the Julliard School, in New York, one of the world's most prestigious drama conservatories.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025

During World War II, many plant conservatories in the U.K. became targets for bombings and were torn down or had their natural resources, including gas, diverted to war efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023

Block, who befriended Maria, owned superb conservatories and gardens.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman