conservatory

noun

con·​ser·​va·​to·​ry kən-ˈsər-və-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural conservatories

1

: a greenhouse for growing or displaying plants

2

: a school specializing in one of the fine arts

a music conservatory

Synonyms of conservatory

• greenhouse

Examples of conservatory in a Sentence

the Peabody Conservatory of Music

the college's conservatory is entirely devoted to cultivating and displaying orchids

Recent Examples on the Web

Shea grew up in Los Angeles and trained at the Los Angeles Theatre Academy, a three-year conservatory for acting and directing. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026

BAMtheatre is a year-round, acclaimed, prize-winning youth theater conservatory, with its own building in Westmont, and has almost 3,000 students each year. —Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026

But the hothouse of the Big Apple jazz scene and the eminent conservatory couldn’t keep her contained. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 7 May 2026

Eventually, the house had a 135-foot conservatory and the couple sold it for a house in Gables Estates. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin conservātōrium "something that preserves" (Medieval Latin, "fish pond"), from Latin conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve" + -tōrium, suffix of places (from neuter of -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor); (sense 2) after Italian conservatorio, originally denoting a home for foundlings and orphans who were given a musical education — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

conservatory

noun

con·​ser·​va·​to·​ry kən-ˈsər-və-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural conservatories

1

: a greenhouse for growing or displaying plants

2

: a place of instruction in some special study (as music)