conservator

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tor kən-ˈsər-və-tər  -və-ˌtȯr 

ˈkän(t)-sər-ˌvā-tər

1

a

: one that preserves from injury or violation : protector

b

: one that is responsible for the care, restoration, and repair of archival or museum articles

2

: a person, official, or institution designated to take over and protect the interests of an incompetent

3

: an official charged with the protection of something affecting public welfare and interests

conservatorial

kən-ˌsər-və-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

(ˌ)kän-

adjective

conservatorship

kən-ˈsər-və-tər-ˌship 

-və-ˌtȯr-;

ˈkän(t)-sər-ˌvā-tər-

noun

Examples of conservator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vibration monitors would provide some objectivity, said Leila Sauvage, a paper conservator at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam who specializes in the impacts of vibration on art. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

To understand how to preserve them, conservators examined archives, audiotapes, and historical records to identify the exact materials Warhol used in the 1970s. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

The most telling details of the painting are revealed through technical analysis, using a number of scans and a conservator’s favorite tool — the headband magnifiers known as optivisors. — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

The Bayeux Tapestry‘s journey to the British Museum was made possible by a remarkable team of conservators, registrars, engineers, and specialist art handlers whose work is rarely seen by the public—and the Times of London has given them their due. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conservatour "legal custodian, protector, guardian," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conservatour, conservator, borrowed from Latin conservātōr-, conservātor "one who preserves, savior" (Medieval Latin, "official custodian, keeper"), from conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve" + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for conservator

• servitor

Legal Definition

conservator

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tor kən-ˈsər-və-tər, ˈkän-sər-ˌvā- 

1

: a person, official, or institution appointed by a court to take over and manage the estate of an incompetent compare committee, curator, guardian, receiver, tutor

2

: a public official charged with the protection of something affecting public welfare and interests

specifically : an official placed in charge of a bank because its affairs are not in a satisfactory condition

conservatorship noun