conservation

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tion ˌkän(t)-sər-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce conservation (audio)
1
: a careful preservation and protection of something
especially : planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect
water conservation
wildlife conservation
2
: the preservation of a physical quantity during transformations or reactions
conservational adjective

Examples of conservation in a Sentence

They are trying to raise money for conservation. the conservation of the environment She specializes in the conservation of furniture. the conservation of religious shrines
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images Listing them under the Endangered Species Act would also increase funding for species conservation in range countries and for research efforts to address conservation. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024 Money raised from Arizona lottery games goes toward funding higher education, health and human services, environmental conservation and economic and business development in the state. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 Beyond film, Jolie champions environmental conservation, education initiatives, and sustainable fashion through Atelier Jolie. Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 Nov. 2024 New Jersey American Water, which serves about 2.9 million people in the state, issued a conservation notice to its customers Wednesday. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conservation 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conservacioun "maintenance in good condition," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conservacion "preservation, protection," borrowed from Latin conservātiōn-, conservātiō "action of keeping intact or unharmed, preservation," from conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve, keep unchanged" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conservation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conservation

Cite this Entry

“Conservation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservation. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

conservation

noun
con·​ser·​va·​tion ˌkän(t)-sər-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce conservation (audio)
: a careful preservation and protection of something
especially : planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, pollution, destruction, or neglect

More from Merriam-Webster on conservation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!