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

He co-founded one of the state’s first conservation organizations, the Little Traverse Conservancy.

From Salon

In 1968, Hardin wrote his essay “The Tragedy of the Commons,” which warned that population growth will outpace the gains of conservation as people overuse the planet’s resources.

From Salon

That’s why, he thought, the immigration fight had to be taken up inside the conservation movement itself, by what is viewed as America’s most prominent environmental organization, an organization that would have the moral authority to bring difficult messages to the public.

From Salon

A report this week found that 44% of corals living in warm waters are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

From BBC

Zeldin has a 14 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters, with the organization finding he opposed 51 out of 53 climate change bills on which he voted from 2015 to 2023.

From Salon

Related Words

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