conserve

verb

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con·serve | \ kən-ˈsərv

conserved; conserving

Definition of conserve

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to keep in a safe or sound state He conserved his inheritance. especially : to avoid wasteful or destructive use of conserve natural resources conserve our wildlife

2 : to preserve with sugar

3 : to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of chemical, physical, or evolutionary change conserved DNA sequences

conserve

noun

con·serve | \ ˈkän-ˌsərv

Definition of conserve (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : sweetmeat especially : a candied fruit

2 : preserve specifically : one prepared from a mixture of fruits

Other Words from conserve Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About conserve

Examples of conserve in a Sentence

Verb With so little rain, everyone had to conserve water. We need to conserve our natural resources. Don't run around too much—you need to conserve your strength.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Its largest cities have lacked electricity for up to 13 hours a day and gone dark at night to conserve power, a dismal turn for a South Asian economy that had seen 8 percent yearly growth a decade ago and had a steadily emerging middle class. — Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2022 Power outages mean her parents must conserve power. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2022 During last week’s heat wave, California’s electric grid operators cautioned people to conserve power to avoid rolling blackouts. — Yoohyun Jung, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 June 2021 The order followed reports that Californians were backsliding in their efforts to conserve water, and had in fact increased water use at the start of the year. — Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2022 Heather Cooley, the director of research at the Pacific Institute, a national organization based in Oakland that focuses on water, said residents can do even more to conserve water. — Sarah Ravani, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Apr. 2022 People who care about protecting the environment might recycle or conserve water while alive. — Danya Bacchus, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2022 Replanting urban landscapes with native drought-tolerant vegetation can help conserve water. — Ali Mirchi, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2021 All of this has created water shortages in the state, and residents are regularly reminded to conserve water. — Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun To maximize the damage and conserve resources, DDoSers often increase the firepower of their attacks through amplification vectors. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2022 Exactly what is the scientific foundation for the company’s claims that dredging the lake will fix its ecology and conserve water, however, is anybody’s guess. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Jan. 2022 According to xeriscaping guidance from Salt Lake City officials, incorporating native species can increase the biodiversity of your garden, conserve water, improve soil health and lessen the need for fertilizer and pesticides. — Caroleine James, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Aug. 2021 As extreme heat bears down on much of California, including parts of the Bay Area, the state’s power grid operator asked residents to voluntary conserve energy Friday to lessen the risk of outages. — Dominic Fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 July 2021 Encouraging more people to use public transit is widely seen as a way to reduce freeway traffic, conserve fuel, and lessen air pollution. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2021 These include measures to promote renewable energy development, conserve water, and manage natural and working lands more sustainably. — Brandi Mckuin, The Conversation, 3 May 2021 Lebo helpfully educates readers on the differences between, for example, a jelly, a jam, a preserve, and a conserve. — Molly Young, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2021 Boil water notices and conserve pleas are still in effect in multiple cities. — Dallas News, 19 Feb. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conserve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.