conserve

American  

[kuhn-surv, kon-surv, kuhn-surv] / kənˈsɜrv, ˈkɒn sɜrv, kənˈsɜrv /

verb (used with object)

• conserves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• conserved,
  past participle,  past
• conserving
  present participle

1. to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of.

   Conserve your strength for the race.

2. to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save.

   Conserve the woodlands.

   Synonyms:

   safeguard, husband

3. Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process.

   the interaction conserved linear momentum.

4. to preserve (fruit) by cooking with sugar or syrup.

---

noun

• conserves
  plural

1. Often conserves. a mixture of several fruits cooked to jamlike consistency with sugar and often garnished with nuts and raisins.

conserve British  

verb

1. to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc

2. to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar

---

noun

1. a preparation of fruit in sugar, similar to jam but usually containing whole pieces of fruit

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• conserver
  noun
• conservable
  adjective
• nonconserving
  adjective
• self-conserving
  adjective
• unconserved
  adjective
• unconserving
  adjective
• well-conserved
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conserves
  plural

Participles

• conserving
  present
• conserved
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• conserve
  simple
• conserves
  simple
• have conserved
  perfect
• has conserved
  perfect
• am conserving
  progressive
• are conserving
  progressive
• is conserving
  progressive
• have been conserving
  perfect progressive
• has been conserving
  perfect progressive

Past

• conserved
  simple
• had conserved
  perfect
• was conserving
  progressive
• were conserving
  progressive
• had been conserving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will conserve
  simple
• will have conserved
  perfect
• will be conserving
  progressive
• will have been conserving
  perfect progressive

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).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conserve conserves conserved conserving

The waterway is set to reduce daily traffic from 36 to 32 ships a day in an effort to conserve water amid a severe drought likely to last until mid-2027.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

The findings may also provide a valuable foundation for efforts to understand and conserve animal biodiversity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

A spokesperson said the "minimal intervention" would deliver the maximum benefits for wildlife, and help to conserve the oak for future generations.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

To conserve cash, Cracker Barrel was cutting corporate jobs and enforcing stricter rules.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

For Darwinian evolution to work, the mechanism of inheritance had to possess an intrinsic capacity to conserve information without becoming diluted or dispersed.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

He scans the pitch before receiving possession, waits patiently for the right opportunity and conserves energy until the moment arrives.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 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

“You’ll often read articles about conservation or about art that has been conserved and the name of the conservator is never mentioned.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

If properly conserved, they can last for hundreds of years.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

These compounds are assembled from amino acid building blocks along with a conserved hydroxy acid pharmacophore, all connected through a combination of peptide and ester bonds.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

That work has expanded opportunities for medical research, improved understanding of koala evolution, and provided new insights into how the species can be conserved in the future.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

He proposed that every feature in a human—height, weight, intelligence, beauty—was a composite function generated by a conserved pattern of ancestral inheritance.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

A recent survey by Susquehanna Polling and Research found that 77 percent of likely voters believe that "conserving national forests and other roadless lands for current and future generations" is paramount.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Neither study questions the value of protected areas for conserving biodiversity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

"Despite Australia being one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the world and having more than its fair share of world-leading scientists… we have a truly awful record of conserving species," Ritchie says.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

By conserving these leopards, we are not only saving an iconic predator, but also preserving an evolutionary legacy shaped over thousands of years by one of the most distinctive landscapes on the African continent.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 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

Related Words

• hoard
• maintain
• preserve
• safeguard
• sustain
• take care of