conservation

[ kon-ser-vey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation:

   conservation of wildlife;

   conservation of human rights.

   Synonyms: protection, husbandry, care

2. official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order to preserve and protect them through prudent management.
3. a district, river, forest, etc., under such supervision.
4. the careful utilization of a natural resource in order to prevent depletion.
5. the restoration and preservation of works of art.

conservation

/ ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of conserving or keeping from change, loss, injury, etc
2. 1. protection, preservation, and careful management of natural resources and of the environment
   2. ( as modifier )

      a conservation area

conservation

/ kŏn′sûr-vā′shən /

1. The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural environments and the ecological communities that inhabit them. Conservation is generally held to include the management of human use of natural resources for current public benefit and sustainable social and economic utilization.

Derived Forms

• ˌconserˈvational, adjective

Other Words From

• conser·vation·al adjective
• anti·conser·vation noun adjective
• noncon·ser·vation noun
• noncon·ser·vation·al adjective
• procon·ser·vation adjective
• self-conser·vation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English conservacioun, from Latin conservātiōn- (stem of conservātiō ), equivalent to conservāt(us) (past participle of conservāre “to save, preserve”) + -iōn- noun suffix; conserve, -ate ¹, -ion

Example Sentences

A national park is planning to release more white-tailed eagles into the area to support conservation efforts for the species.

From BBC

"Trade-offs between industrial and conservation outcomes are not usually this optimal," said co-author Heather Welch, a research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

From Science Daily

Aldo Croquer, a marine conservation program manager for the Central Caribbean in Nature Conservancy, said that coral reefs have weathered many cataclysmic events in Earth’s history, but they may not survive humanity.

From Salon

This genetic blueprint will be an invaluable tool for future conservation efforts.

From Science Daily

Dunn pointed out that several countries are taking a "multi-faceted" approach to address a lack of water by combining desalination with methods such as water recycling, rainwater harvesting, and conservation measures.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• care
• conservancy
• control
• maintenance
• management
• protection
• supervision