conservancy

noun

con·​ser·​van·​cy kən-ˈsər-vən(t)-sē How to pronounce conservancy (audio)
plural conservancies
1
British : a board regulating fisheries and navigation in a river or port
2
b
: an organization or area designated to conserve and protect natural resources

Examples of conservancy in a Sentence

The land was recently donated to a local conservancy. raising money for the conservancy of natural resources
Recent Examples on the Web Rosa laid her first egg Feb. 14, followed by her second egg three days later, according to the wildlife conservancy. Helena Wegner, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Burrowing owls have a homing instinct that gives them a tendency to return to where they were born, explained Christina Schaefer, a private biologist and conservancy board member. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 In lieu of flowers, Brand’s family asked for donations in his memory to the conservancy, or to Cancer Support Community South Bay. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 The summit will include an observation area for scenic views, conservancy leaders said. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Feb. 2024 The Catawba Lands Conservancy reached an easement agreement with the longtime Charlotte station this week, enabling the conservancy to develop three miles of trails up Spencer Mountain in Gaston County. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Feb. 2024 Her tour guide was a local expert who had discovered several ancient sites within the conservancy, including a burial complex. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 The findings were a result of years of research on animals and insects in a nature conservancy in Kenya. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2024 Advertisement At a recent community forum, however, passions seemed to ebb slightly when Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn urged the conservancy to consider alternatives to the eradication plan. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conservancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conservancie "act of conserving or keeping safe," borrowed from Medieval Latin conservantia "conservation, office of a conservator," noun derivative of Latin conservant-, conservans, present participle of conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve, keep unchanged" — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conservancy was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near conservancy

Cite this Entry

“Conservancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservancy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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