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Synonyms

conservationist

American  
[kon-ser-vey-shuh-nist] / ˌkɒn sərˈveɪ ʃə nɪst /

noun

  1. a person who advocates or promotes conservation, especially of natural resources.

conservationist British  
/ ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃənɪst /

noun

  1. a person who advocates or strongly promotes preservation and careful management of natural resources and of the environment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • anticonservationist noun
  • proconservationist adjective

Etymology

Origin of conservationist

First recorded in 1865–70; conservation + -ist

Compare meaning

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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.

"Revoking permits is not immediately a win," said Panut Hadisiswoyo, a conservationist and orangutan specialist.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

TR was conservative and progressive, internationalist and nationalist, conservationist and hunter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to pioneering elephant conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who died aged 83 at his home in Nairobi on Monday.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Irwin, an Aussie wildlife conservationist and son of the late “Crocodile Hunter,” Steve Irwin, joins sister Bindi as a winner of the Mirrorball trophy.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

In 1947 the conservationist Aldo Leopold dedicated a monument to the pigeon near the site of its greatest recorded nesting, at which hunters slaughtered 1.5 million birds.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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.