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

• 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

But my mum has a cat flap in the conservatory, which is microchipped to her cat, Sooty. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

There is ample space to entertain guests between the conservatory, dining room, and living room. —Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 22 Aug. 2025

Near the museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an incredible urban oasis of various types of gardens and conservatories that puts you closer to incredible greenery and scenic beauty. —Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Themes will include a decaying conservatory, a vampire masquerade ball, 1920s mobsters amid radioactive cargo and a cat lady. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2025

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)