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

If the foxes become tolerant of 1080, the conservation consequences could be harsh, Letnic says.

From Science News

Starting out on a pre-med track, she eventually found conservation biology.

From Nautilus

Previous work has suggested this ice loss could decrease emperor penguin populations by about 31 percent over the next 60 years, an assessment that is shifting the birds’ conservation status from near threatened to vulnerable.

From Science News

The answers could affect conservation efforts and our understanding of how much interdependence there is among organisms, species and their physical surroundings.

From Quanta Magazine

At the time he was trying to map the movements of fish as an aid to marine conservation.

From Quanta Magazine

The battle between conservation groups and FWS over the fate of the Yellowstone grizzly is about to repeat.

From The Daily Beast

But while restoration is important, what these initiatives lack is a master conservation plan.

From The Daily Beast

But three hours from the construction site, the war between oil and conservation is palpable.

From The Daily Beast

Now poaching is on the rise and wildlife conservation in peril.

From The Daily Beast

Interestingly, the League of Conservation Voters is a big player here.

From The Daily Beast

But the war has shown that the most important thing of all is the conservation of men and women.

From Project Gutenberg

Napoleon had only one object—to draw the alliance closer in the eyes of all Europe for the conservation of his prestige.

From Project Gutenberg

The idea that the Church can, in these times, serve as a basis for justice or the conservation of property, is simply absurd.

From Project Gutenberg

In regard to the Conservation movement: I sympathize very strongly with my good friends here from the West.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a section, therefore, in which the conservation of the soil is of the highest importance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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