conserve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of.
Conserve your strength for the race.
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to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save.
Conserve the woodlands.
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Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process.
the interaction conserved linear momentum.
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to preserve (fruit) by cooking with sugar or syrup.
noun
verb
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to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc
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to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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conservernoun
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conservableadjective
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nonconservingadjective
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self-conservingadjective
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unconservedadjective
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unconservingadjective
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well-conservedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conservesimple
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conservessimple
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have conservedperfect
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has conservedperfect
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am conservingprogressive
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are conservingprogressive
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is conservingprogressive
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have been conservingperfect progressive
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has been conservingperfect progressive
Past
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conservedsimple
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had conservedperfect
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was conservingprogressive
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were conservingprogressive
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had been conservingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conserve
First recorded in 1325–75; (for the verb) Middle English, from Latin conservāre “to save, preserve”; equivalent to con- + serve; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French conserve, noun derivative of conserver, from Latin, as above
Explanation
To conserve is to save or protect something, like money, or your energy on a long run. People are also encouraged to conserve energy by turning off lights and not cranking the air conditioner. Conserve is from the Latin for "to keep, preserve, guard" (conservare). Con means "together," so "together" we can "serve" the planet by not doing doughnuts in the wetlands on our jet skis. You can conserve the planet or a little something for yourself — you might conserve hot water so you can wash your hair later, or try to conserve your old bedroom when you go off to college (and your mom is ready for a home office).
Vocabulary lists containing conserve
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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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.
See Examples For:
The latest results highlight a pronounced turnaround for Intel, which just two years ago had to suspend its dividend and conduct massive layoffs as it looked to conserve cash.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
These should help AI tools like its Gemini chatbot generate quicker responses and conserve computing resources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Both Messi and Ronaldo have benefited from how they play as well, walking rather running for long stretches of the game to conserve energy for the burst they need to lose a defender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Since World War One, the US has set its clocks forward during the summer to have more daylight in the afternoon and to conserve electricity.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
He had noticed they’d gone to one torch when they met up with Ripred, apparently to conserve fuel.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
However, in line with international norms, citrus-based conserves will need to be distinguished as a separate type of product, and will have to be sold using the new legal name "citrus marmalade".
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026
The use of plastic in agriculture undeniably conserves important resources.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2023
Conversely, some people end up sleeping for long stretches when they have COVID, Al-Aly said, as the body conserves energy while it fights off the infection.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2023
In contrast, reducing waste generation conserves natural resources and avoids other negative environmental impacts throughout a product's life.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2023
We often dip into it, and the tough ham sausages, the tins of liver sausages, the conserves, the boxes of cigarettes rejoice our hearts.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
If properly conserved, they can last for hundreds of years.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The discovery shows that even one of biology's most conserved systems can be more flexible than expected.
From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026
It raised the height of a dam to double its storage, built the desalination plant and acquired rights to a trove of conserved Colorado River water from a desert farming district.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Abroad, though, interest rates and inflation risks have shot up, fuel is being conserved, and economic forecasts are darkening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Gaetsewe, however, conserved his tobacco, and never ran out.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Jackie and Shadow became internet sensations thanks to the live webcams maintained in their nest by nonprofit organization Friends of Big Bear Valley, which is an outspoken voice for conserving eagle habitat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
A row is growing over the potential cull of Dartmoor's hill ponies as campaigners warn Natural England's approach to conserving the landscape could "devastate" the endangered breed.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
By using Mars' gravitational pull, mission planners were able to give the spacecraft a major boost while conserving valuable propellant for later stages of the mission.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2026
For example, in the early 1990s, he and his colleagues examined standard recommendations for conserving reed beds—important habitats for birds that become overgrown with trees over time.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
“Pete, Otis, unload the hay burners and get them watered, will you? Use the stream instead of troughs. We’re conserving water.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
