conservatory
Americannoun
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a school giving instruction in one or more of the fine or dramatic arts; specifically, a school of music.
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a greenhouse, usually attached to a dwelling, for growing and displaying plants.
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Archaic. a place where things are preserved.
adjective
noun
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a greenhouse, esp one attached to a house
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another word for conservatoire
adjective
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing conservatory
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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.
Hail the size of golf balls left holes in conservatory roofs and dents in cars after a storm described as "like something out of a movie".
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Ms. Margulis recalls her studies at a music conservatory, steeped as it was in the view that music operated “in some ethereal realm,” pure and detached from the world.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The training orchestra guides young musicians with conservatory backgrounds into the world of professional orchestras.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Its overhaul will also improve sustainability through a "retrofit-first" approach that reuses materials such as conservatory glass and pavers.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025
Nic took us to the conservatory where he’d studied violin.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
