Meaning & use
a conservatory
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A room with glass walls and a glass roof attached to a house, used to grow plants or sit in.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a conservatory' or 'conservatories'.
Patterns
- build a conservatory
- in the conservatory
They added a conservatory to the back of the house to grow tomatoes and enjoy the sun.
We had tea in the conservatory while the rain fell on the glass roof.
nouncountable
A school or college where people study music, drama, or dance.
Grammar: Countable; often used in names of institutions.
Patterns
- study at a conservatory
- a conservatory of music
She trained as a violinist at a conservatory in Paris.
The conservatory offers degrees in music and theatre.
Word forms
| plural | conservatories |
|---|
Common combinations
- glass conservatory
- The glass conservatory gets very hot in summer.
- build a conservatory
- They decided to build a conservatory for extra space.
- conservatory roof
- The conservatory roof needs cleaning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sunroom
- More common in American English for a glass room; 'conservatory' is the usual British term.
- greenhouse
- A separate building for plants, not attached to a house like a conservatory.
Commonly confused: a conservatory or conservation?
a conservatory vs conservation
'Conservation' means protecting nature; 'conservatory' is a glass room or music school.
Practice
They grow orchids in the ___ attached to their kitchen.
Choose one answer.
'Conservatory' fits because it is a glass room for plants. 'Conservation' is about protecting nature, 'conservative' is an adjective, and 'conserve' is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a conservatory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.